We would like to introduce another amazing Rise Together Education's scholar Brooklyn Hutchinson who graduated from Paly this past spring and is now studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.
Q: What is your major?
A: I am majoring in graphic design, with a double minor in psychology and photography.
Q: What is one of your favorite subjects/classes this term? Why?
A: “My favorite class so far is my Drawing 1 class, which is mainly because of the professor. On our first day of class, she let us out early and encouraged us all to get breakfast together. I made a lot of my friends from this, and it really established relationships with everyone in the class to the point where I almost think of us as one big family.”
Q: What has been the best part about going to college?
A: “I think the best part of college for me so far is making connections and friendships, where I can give and receive support to and from others. My professors and advisors are supportive, but it's also very awesome to have other students become a sort of support system for each other.”
Q: Has RTE made a difference in your decision to pursue a college degree? If so, how?
A: “RTE did make a difference in my decision to pursue a college degree, and helped me get there. Programs such as the Rise Up summer program and the First Generation program at my school helped me to better understand and prepare for the application process and evaluate financial aid, but I still wasn't entirely sure about the possibility of my going to college because of the cost. The RTE scholarship was a major influence in my ability to attend college, and I'm honestly not sure what would have happened without it.”
Q: Did any adults help/support you in the process of getting to college? If so, how?
A: “Many adults helped and supported me in my process of getting to college. Obviously my mom was a huge support in the whole process. I also had some support from adults at my school, such as my guidance counselors, college and career counselors (who also lead the first generation program and rise up summer program), and even my teachers that wrote letters of recommendation or nominated me for awards and scholarships. Beyond that, I also had the support of a lot of family friends, my mom's coworkers, and even my neighbor. The Hmelar family were a great help for my mom and I throughout the whole process, starting in my junior year when their daughter gave me advice about the SATs, and continuing today with the simple but wonderful act of them sending mittens to my dorm.”
Q: What do you want to do after college?
A: “I don't have the details of what I want to do after college pinned down just yet (I'm hoping for college to give me a bit of a better idea), but I do know that I want to help people in some way. That has always been a career goal of mine, now that I think about it. When I was applying as a graphic design major, I also mentioned to some schools that I had an interest in art therapy. I think this was mainly because it was the art career path that most obviously helps people struggling with mental health issues, which is another one of my interests I suppose. In the end I realized that graphic design had the potential to help a lot more people in many different ways, not just with mental health issues, although I would still like to help people manage those in some way.”
Thank you to our RTE Student Representatives, Emma Lin and Melina Soburg, for this interview.
