The end of one year and the beginning of a new year is a time to look back on what we’ve accomplished and look forward to what’s next. For the students in The Legacy Project, their year-end celebration at Franklin Park Conservatory was the perfect chance to do both.
Everyone enjoyed the delicious dinner paired with the always popular hot chocolate bar, followed by Legacy Project bingo culminating with exploring the park. But what set the tone for the evening and helped define what The Legacy Project is all about were the students’ goal presentations.
Andrew spoke about his opportunity in the engineering field and his new understanding of what it’s like to balance school and a full-time job. He’s gotten a lot of experience in coding and in the field of robotics, and he’s excited about the position Lincoln Electric has offered him once he finishes school.
Amanda gave everyone a chance to see the art portfolio she’s been working on for the past year. She reflected on different techniques she’s been improved upon and was specifically proud of how far her shading abilities have come. Amanda has hopes of going to CCAD for design post-graduation.
Catalina talked about the experience she’s gained during her internship at Heart of Ohio Family Health. With a goal of pursuing a career in the medical field, she’s been able to work directly with patients as a medical assistant, taking vitals, preparing patient exams and running tests.
Ja Na’Ya detailed her career mentor experience with her mentor Audra. As a nurse practitioner, Audra has been helping Ja Na’Ya learn about the variety of avenues one can take within the medical field. Ja Na’Ya expressed her interest in work where we could help people and make a difference in their lives. One of the projects she participated in with Audra was a series of mental health simulation scenarios where Ja Na’Ya had to ask patients questions to understand what it was they were going through and whether it was a physical or mental health diagnosis. Through her experiences and discussions with Audra, Ja Na’Ya discovered that she still wants to pursue the medical field as a traveling psychologist, but also wants to pursue art, as she continues her education journey.
Because of her dedication to the program and her passion to help guide students, Audra was presented with The Legacy Project’s mentor of the year award.
The night filled with inspiration and fun concluded with students receiving their year-end gifts along with personalized notes from their coaches.
Here’s to the new year, and to all of the amazing things The Legacy Project students are working to achieve.
