FUTURE

Libby Hodge, microbiology

Libby Hodge has always been interested in science. Both of her parents work in scientific fields; her father is a mechanical engineer who researches new drugs and treatments for various diseases at a gene therapy company, and her mother is a biochemist who worked on cancer research. “Growing up, I just always had questions about how the world worked...[my parents] would explain it to me, and that sparked my interest in the world, and science is the study of how the world works,” Hodge said. During the second semester of her freshman year biology class, Hodge found a more specific scientific interest: microbiology. “I was just fascinated by how something that’s so small could execute all these complex processes,” Hodge said. Near the end of her sophomore year, Hodge attended the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy annual conference, where she saw ways to translate her interest in microbiology to a career. She hopes to work in pharmaceutical research and development. The pandemic has only deepened her passion for microbiology, as Covid-19 and the development of mRNA vaccines have underscored the influence microbiology has on our world. “Going into a STEM field as a woman, I feel like a lot of people are kind of like, ‘Oh wow, good for you,’ but this is just what I love,” Hodge said. “I’m doing whatever anyone else would.” Hodge is attending California Polytechnic State University to study microbiology. Taylor Widman, health care

For Taylor Widman, an interest in health care is personal. When she was 2 years old, her 5-yearold brother Jake passed away from cancer.

“My brother and my family were able to develop very strong relationships with his nurses,” Widman said. “They were the people that were very helpful during his diagnosis and treatment. They left a huge impact on my life and my family’s lives, and I want to be able to do that for other people.”

Widman has spent time volunteering with kids with special needs and volunteering in hospitals. She has also been involved with her family’s foundation, The Super Jake Foundation, which funds research to find a cure for neuroblastoma and assist the families of children with cancer.

Though Widman has always been interested in entering a health care field, she’s recently become more interested in becoming a nurse rather than focusing more heavily on medicine.

“I wanted to be a nurse so I can work closely with [patients] and develop those relationships,” Widman said.

Widman’s current dream job is being a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner. That would allow her to have more responsibilities, while still working closely with pediatric cancer patients and their families. Widman plans to apply to the nursing program at Clemson University. Kiley McCarthy, businessFor Kiley McCarthy, her eventual career has always been clear. “With the family company that we have...it was automatic that [my sister and I were] going to go into business,” McCarthy said. Her family company manufactures hydraulic fittings, which connect pipes and other parts of hydraulic systems together. As college drew closer, McCarthy began looking more closely at the different branches of business. She was drawn to finance after learning the amount of math required for accounting and the travel needed for international business. “I like being able to manage the money and spending because that’s what determines... how well [the business is] run and how well the outcome is,” McCarthy said. On days off of school, McCarthy has shadowed her father at the family business, sometimes helping him develop quotes for various companies. Though she hopes to eventually run her family’s business, she also wants to complete a business internship at another company to experience a different corporate atmosphere. McCarthy noted that the business world, especially in manufacturing fittings, is dominated by men. She has two cousins who work for their father’s manufacturing company, and though the brother is treated as a normal worker, the sister has received dirty looks and is treated as “the boss’s daughter.” “It is harder for the women in the field [of business], but it’s a good challenge,” McCarthy said. McCarthy is attending Carthage College to study finance. MAY 2021 21

No Two Decisions Are the Same

Seniors Weigh the Importance of a Multitude of Factors When Choosing a College

Ella Marsden Sara Bogan Olivia Poell

Ask any high school senior, and they and board, textbooks, transportation and other programs, since that’s what she plans to will probably tell you they’ve miscellaneous expenses -- at an out-of-state major in, and were a reasonable price, esreceived advice to just “go with their gut” school was $27,383. With the pandemic’s overall pecially since Borowiec has older siblings when choosing a college to attend. And negative impact on financial security, the cost in college. for senior Robbie Delatorre, that’s exactly of college has been a more important deciding Another thing she took into account what his decision came down to. factor this year. was the area surrounding the schools

“The campus feel had a huge impact Ms. Belstra also noted that distance has had a she was looking at. What she loved about [on the decision]. But another thing that significant influence on seniors’ decisions. For DePaul was its location in downtown had a huge impact was [thinking], ‘What example, senior Katie Borowiec wanted a school Chicago. Borowiec explained that she did I feel when I thought about the col- close to home, and she ultimately chose DePaul wants to live in an urban environment lege?’’’ he said. University. after college, and college is a good time

Delatorre decided to attend Butler “Being the youngest and having all my other for her to experience living in the city University. This school, he explained, is siblings already gone to college, I kind of wanted while still having the comfort of a college the perfect size for him, since he want- campus. ed a mid-sized school. Most importantly What it all came down to was how for him, the school felt like home. He Borowiec felt being accepted to differdescribed walking around campus ent schools. for the first time and seeing lots of “When I got accepted into other colstudents outside, and they were very leges...I was happy about it, but I wasn’t welcoming. ecstatic like I was for DePaul,” she said.

Delatorre noted that touring campus- “So that’s just when I knew that was es was one of the most beneficial steps a decision I wanted to make. It all just he took in his selection process. Seeing depended on how I really felt.” the size of the campus and getting a For senior Maggie Vickers, the first feel for the culture helped him make thing she looked for in a school was a his final decision. Delatorre was lucky, he good cheer program since she planned explained, to know a current Butler stu- to cheer in college. Once she had idendent, so he was also able to get a more tified schools that fit that criteria, she personalized tour of the campus. started narrowing that list down to col-

The college selection leges with a good astronoprocess can be an overwhelming time for seniors “[Tours] are definitely important my program. After Vickers finished -- having to balance what can feel like the biggest because when you’re actually on the the list of schools, she began to evaluate each school, decision of their life with school work and their campus, you can actually see...how mainly based on its location and campus. Once she had personal lives -- but the satisfaction of having people are spending their time.” applied and been accepted to some schools, she startmade a decision can make it all worth it. Everyone -- Senior Calvin Blohm ed looking more in depth at each college. is different, so students “[After being accepted], I find certain factors more important to stay by for my parents,” she said. looked more at class sizes and what their than others when making their college When first searching for schools to apply to, dorms were like and their food,” Vickers decisions. Borowiec shared that she didn’t really take dis- said. “I looked at how much it costs, and

One of the most common factors that tance into account. She applied to schools on the any scholarships I could get there.” LHS college and career counselor Amy East Coast out of impulse, she explained, without Ultimately, she decided to attend the Belstra has noticed playing a large role in taking into account how she would get back and University of Washington after seeing students’ decisions this year is cost. Busi- forth to those schools. a video of the campus, which she fell in ness Insider found that for the 2018-19 As Borowiec started narrowing down on love with. UW checked all her boxes, she school year, the average cost of atten- schools closer to home, she began looking shared. dance -- which includes tuition, room for colleges that had good speech pathology “It has like a really, really good astron-