Senior Interviews 2023

We randomly selected five seniors from the Career Center, asking them their future plans in casual conversation (scroll down for interviews). We will continue to add more senior interviews as graduation approaches. Bailey Butcher also shared her Senior Exit Interview with us to use as an example for future student’s projects! Below are her slides, and we couldn’t be more proud of her achievements!

Haidyn Bulmer & Sam Hastings, Career Center Health Science Education

Parker Elementary classmates, Haidyn Bulmer and Sam Hastings have spent many years growing in education together. Both participated in sports, and used their team experience to fulfill their Senior Exit Interviews. As seniors at the Career Center, they now enjoy the freedom of a longer lunch, having no fourth hour. Their Health Science Education teacher, Kendra Gentry, taught them “a new way to study, college style,” with note cards, “straight out of the book, without a study guide!”

Tell us what your future plans are, and who influenced you most:

Haidyn: I just got my acceptance letter (February); I’m heading to Franklin to play defense football (where the defense is similar to to New Castle’s). For a career, I want to become a Physician’s Assistant. I am not a CNA, but I am pre-professional. I need to contact a nursing home to build up contact hours for clinical therapy. I will be graduating with Academic, AP and Technical Honors; my mom pushed me to do my best.

Sam: I had to decide between going to IUPUI or the University of Southern Indiana! I got into both! So the big decision would be If I wanted to be one hour away, or four? I had to decide by mid-March. This summer I will be job shadowing in radiation therapy at Ball Memorial in Muncie. I will be doing clinicals two days a week at Henry Community Health, through Forrest Ridge and Healthlink within Imaging and Echo, doing MRIs, cat-scans, and ultrasounds with dye contrast!  My mom, an nurse, was my biggest influence, and we have multiple family friends at the hospital. My mother was always there, as a good listener, to pick me up and push me when needed. 

What would you do differently if you could start high school over again?

Haidyn: I would take more dual credits. I realize now that I was smart enough! I would have taken more math classes, but the benefit of my AP classes prepared me better for college classes with studying. 

Sam: I regret that I didn’t try very hard (academically) my freshman and sophomores years. I didn’t lock in until junior year… You think it’s so far away.  I enjoy helping people. Find out what you like so you can pinpoint a pathway faster.

Advice to a new high schooler?

Haidyn: If you think you’d like the Career Center, try it!  I waited until my senior year, because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I did know I wanted to be in the medical field. If you get dual credit , you can save a year financially for college. I would also say to do things right the first time (I blew my academics during virtual learning and poor study skills during covid that I can’t get back). I would also encourage people to study in a quiet place without distractions.

Sam: Learn how to study quickly. AP Geography is a great place to learn new skills… Medial Terminologies was like a foreign language, but it got me an extra credit! Now I’m graduating with Technical Honors, and prepared for the future with college credit; with only four years of school ahead!

Favorite thing in high school: 

Haidyn: I loved being part of the sports culture… The fans, players, coaches… The lessons I learned are applicable to real life, not the playing, but the culture and family. I’ve made lifelong friends and mentors from the coaching staff. 

Sam: My favorite part of high school was being on the swim team. I learned discipline, mentally and physically. Those people are my best friends. 

Isaac Goble and Alex Frost, Career Center Welding

Meet two senior Welding Buddies, Isaac and Alex. These best friends met at Building Blocks Preschool and continued their friendship through Westwood Elementary. Both boys joined the percussion section in middle school band, and continued all through high school.

What are you most proud moments of high school?

Isaac: at Winter Percussion State Finals; the judges announced us as fourth place recipients, but then they surprised us with the correct score in third place!

Alex: on our trip to Disney World last year with the Band. We stayed in a hotel for a week with five of our best friends.

Why did you two choose Welding as your career?

Issac: I am interested in drag racing. I took a tour of the Career Center and saw they had built a dragster car. It pushed me to participate, and I love working with my hands. Ronnie Perrin, my teacher, taught me more than welding skills, not just how to stick two pieces of metal together He taught me life skills. He taught me how to get a job and maintain a job. The pay for welding is unmatched. If I don’t like my coworkers, I will know how to continue working with cooperation. I’d like to end up at McLaren Racing or the Indy 500!

Alex: Joining Welding was a total impulse decision. Mostly I’m here because of the friendships I’ve built, but I don’t think I will do this my whole life. I’m interested in Aeronautics– really anything that flies! Who knows, maybe someday I’ll do a little welding on some airplanes or helicopters, or…. the space shuttle!

Coolest thing you’ve built in Welding Class?

Isaac: We built a Ford Model A from ground up. We built the frame, bought a body, and used old blueprints, welding every point. We took it to the Indiana State Fairgrounds’ Works of Wheels display. It’s 100% drivable; it just needs a new engine!

Future Plans?

Alex: We both got accepted to the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, Ohio. It’s a trade school, and it starts August 23. We have an apartment all lined up!

Marisha Aten, Career Center Education Careers

Tell us how you ended up at the Career Center.

“It was my freshman year when covid hit; I had a very long spring break!  When I applied for the Career Center my sophomore year, I did not get accepted into the education program because of covid grades; I did not do well with online classes. I was very disappointed because I decided to be a teacher in seventh grade! I worked very hard to raise my grades, and made it into the Career Center as a first-year senior.” 

Are there a few teachers that influenced you to pursue education?

“My 3rd grade teacher, Katherine Hayes (now retired, but serving as an assistant in the Tiny Trojans Pre-K program), first planted the seed in my head that I would make a good teacher. I don’t remember the details, but I remember being surprised, and the feeling it gave me stuck! I also had Casie Bell in high school, for my junior year of Technical Communications. She would share stories of her lifestyle, as a real human being outside of school. She was open and honest with our class about struggles and victories she faced, and encouraged us to be honest with ourselves. I was intrigued by the lifestyle of being a teacher.” 

What kind of teaching experience do you have?

I’ve been a YMCA Summer Camp Jr. Counselor.  I also was a Junior Camp Counselor at my martial arts studio, helping with Jujitsu, Karate and Taekwondo. I took it for six years; I’m an Orange Belt! Karate taught me how to be social and independent; I was a very shy kid. I learned defensive combat; I’ve taken down a 6 foot man! But more importantly, I’ve taken down my big sister!  

Where else have you learned Leadership skills? 

In the Concert Band I play clarinet; I’m First Chair! Marching Band taught me rhythms and tempo. Pep Band and Marching Band taught me leadership through helping underclassmen. Band is my fun and social outlet. I love learning how to play music with others!  

What Pathway did you take?

I will graduate with a Core 40 diploma; I just finished my Senior Exit Interview. Once in the Career Center, I joined the FCCLA. (Fcclainc.org. Link article to website) Family Career and Community Leaders of America and won  2 Gold medals this past year for my slide show presentation and interview projects. 

What would you do differently in HS if you could do it over?

I would not take as many study halls. I thought I would need more time to get things done. I Had to join our Opportunity School to catch up; I took a Government class in my free time. 

Any advice to an incoming high schooler? 

Don’t be afraid. It’s not like the movies! Whatever you want to be, your options are wide open. Be yourself—that’s how you find other people like you.(I like superheroes and Anime.) Make new friends and don’t let people get to you. With covid, It took me until my junior year to lose my fear of standing out. Make your own fashion rules! I started as a C student and moved up to an A student. Depend on your teachers; they will help you pass.

Future Plans?  

With FAFSA grants, I will be attending. Ivy tech. In a couple of years I plan to transition to IU East to enter the teaching programs. I will stay in Indiana, I’d like to have a nice drive away from my family to become independent!