Q: Why did you choose to attend the Academy?
A: “I knew that my home high school was providing a comfortable amount of work. I knew I wasn’t being challenged. I brought up that concern with my school counselor at the time, and that’s when I learned about the Academy. I did some further research and then decided that I really wanted to focus on being challenged and learning, rather than remaining somewhere that might have been a little more comfortable.”
Q: How did the format of the Academy prepare you for your college experience?
A: “The class structures were similar to college courses. In that way, I understood how to use downtime, because even if I had a period where I wasn’t in class, that didn’t mean that it was free time. It meant that it was a period that I was then available to do work for other classes. Very different than just sitting in class from morning to afternoon, as you would in a home high school. Additionally, the amount of work, the focus on notetaking, and retention of information for exams were helpful and indicative of the courses I was taking in all my higher education.”
Q: What do you know now that you wished you knew during your time at the Academy?
A: How important and influential the time with my classmates was. I am spending time this week with a fellow Academite. The friendships that I made at the academy are still some of the most important relationships of my life.
Q: How did you know what you wanted to focus on academically?
A: I took a lot of English classes because I thought that literature was something that I might pursue. My exposure through history and political courses influenced the idea that, while I love language and crafting words, my motivation leaned toward politics. The combination of politics and literature led to looking at law, specifically law geared to influencing policy.
Q: Did you participate in any extracurricular activities that went on to enhance your college experience?
A: I was a PA at the Academy. That was both really fun and helpful in cultivating leadership, which has been beneficial as I moved forward.
Q: What is your favorite memory from the Academy?
A: I lived on the third floor in B wing. In my class, all the girls in B wing were really close. We all tried to make sure we were all taking care of each other. So, if someone was having a stressful week, we would go into one of the girls’ rooms, put on loud music, and have a dance party for hours.
Q: You mentioned you transferred schools. What made you realize the initial college was not the right fit?
A: I ended up going to a college where I didn’t end up forming the same connections that I was hearing about from other Academy students. I was going from class to class, learning but not to the level of learning you achieve through peer engagement. It took a toll on my mental health. I am a very social person, so not having the social aspect freshman year was difficult. My friends were able to support me through the transition between colleges. It's not something you need to shoulder and fix and try to power through.
Q: Do you have any advice for people entering their first year of college?
A: For entering your first year, there is a huge amount of information and it’s impossible to retain it all. There is just so much coming at you. My number one practical suggestion is to have a notepad and some way to take down notes. Write things down that pique your interest so that you can refer to all that information later.
Q: How do you apply the skills and knowledge obtained from high school to your current career?
A: I worked at a nonprofit for a few years as a data analyst. Now, I am in law school. All the academic aspects of the Academy are front and center. The study habits I learned, and stress management are applicable to law school. In general, I value that the Academy helped me love learning, which has been vital in my career and my continued education.
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