FAQ from Hillwood High School Senior, Angelie

1Q) What academy are you part of at your school? How has the academy model at your high school helped shape your future plans?

“The academy model at Hillwood shapes a lot of students’ lives and provides opportunities. I chose the business pathway because I realized that I can apply these skills regardless of what career path I choose after high school.”

2Q) What experiences in high school have helped you think about your future professional path? What experiences were not helpful?

“[Participating in] the extracurriculars that Hillwood has to offer such as Model UN, Youth In Government, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), having the opportunity to serve on the student council, and recently being accepted as one of the student members on the Metro Nashville School Board have all helped me think about my future.”

“I do not feel as though any of my experiences have been negative or unhelpful. For example, I wish to pursue something in the law field. The Business and Hospitality pathway at Hillwood made me realize that I want to do something in a public atmosphere… Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) gave me exposure to the healthcare environment and just because I was in Business and Hospitality it never limited me to certain clubs… together this combination pointed me in the direction of wanting to become a healthcare attorney.”

3Q) Who are the mentor(s) in your life, and what qualities make them good mentors?

“I would 100 percent say my parents… also teachers, principals, and staff from my elementary, middle school, and high school. Truly without my parents I would not have had that foundation as a person or even as a student. My parents are great mentors because they have taught me to persevere during hard and challenging times. If I had not learned that from home, I may not have carried those skills throughout my high school career.”

4Q) What should other adults understand about mentorship so they can better support young people who are transitioning from high school to college or workforce?

“The teachers that I look up to as mentors always keep me in the loop… once you build a relationship with a mentor and establish a sense of trust, they keep you in mind for opportunities.”

5Q) What do you wish the greater Nashville community knew about your school, about your teachers, relationships between community partners and students?

“There seems to be a stigma that we do not have good students inside our school, which is completely untrue. There are students in all public high schools, especially at Hillwood, who are great leaders, active in the community, and who will achieve so much success one day.”

“Students have really benefited from our community partners and volunteers… I have had exposure to information that I would have never had the opportunity to learn about if we did not have such supportive community partners.”