I was a part of the VECTOR Explorations Cohort from November 2021 to November 2022. My first experience was listening to guest speaker Dr. Nolan Holland, in which he talked about what his career as an engineer entails. Overall, I found this experience to be underwhelming and not something I was looking for in a future career. It was hosted by Dr. Turk for one hour. 

I was also a part of the Mayfield Chamber Leadership Academy during my freshman year. We met in various places around Mayfield to discuss topics such as finance, entrepreneurship, and teamwork. This took place from December 2021 until April 2022 and was five sessions for a total of 10 hours. 

Lastly, I listened to lawyer Ell Connally during sophomore year. She gave me more insight into what it means to be a lawyer and what a day in the life of a law student looks like. This helped me shift toward enrollment in the Community Engagement and Law cohort instead of the Science and Medicine cohort, which I was originally interested in. 

My experiential learning hours in VECTOR have been incredibly valuable for me during my high school years and I look forward to exploring summer opportunities heading into 2023. 

From mid-June to early August 2023, I participated in an internship program with an organization called Youth Opportunities Unlimited. They helped me find an internship based on my interests, which were journalism and law. After my summer vacation, they found a place for me at FutureHeights, the publisher and distributor of the Heights Observer, a local newspaper. During my time there, I would work from home and go to the office, learning from people who worked for the paper in crafting my own story. I eventually had my own story published in the paper, which was an introduction to myself and what I would be doing. After, I helped to create the Observer's very own Facebook page, which was essential in helping the Observer gain a wider audience online. I stopped in early August as cross-country practice and the school year were beginning.