Life of a Fellow: Victoria
Say hello to Victoria! One of our newest Fellows at Hill-Freedman World Academy. Throughout the year she’s been hard at work helping our students, but this past year has also given her the ability to discover more about her skills. Keep reading on to hear how Fellowship has been so far for Victoria!
February…amiright?
For 12+ at Hill-Freedman World Academy, it’s common to think of this time of year as the calm before the storm. Before the decisions come in, before the financial aid packages are sent out, before the students realize that their high school career is actually coming to an end. It should, in theory, be a month of stillness.
I find this to be February’s facade. While the technical portion of this role takes a temporary backseat, the social side takes the driver’s seat. This is when students start to come to us for things outside their academics – casual conversations, heart-to-hearts, or just to sleep. That’s not to say that this hasn’t been occurring throughout the school year so far – by time December came, we were being pranked on a weekly basis via a possessed Dollar Tree elf.
Yet, February flexes the fluidity of this fellowship. With applications out of the way, students feel the freedom to come to us for their Valentine's day plans, to update us on the bad week they’re having, or to teach them chess with an incomplete set. Instead of pushing them to complete their FAFSAs, or to request transcripts and recommendation letters on Naviance, we are pushing them to be their best selves. To express their emotions in their relationships clearly, to have the confidence to explore their interests, and to have confidence in their future.
While these are qualities that we try to instill in our students, I also find that this position has allowed me to reevaluate my own interests and skills, in terms of my future. Out of the entire cohort this year, I’m one of the younger fellows, fresh out of college. As you can imagine, I’ve been trying to find my footing post-undergrad in the professional sphere. As my first job, 12+ has allowed me to explore various skills, again, exercising the fluidity of this fellowship. Not only have I been able to discover and develop my technical skills as a college and career advisor, such as editing personal statements, reaching out to colleges, and filing financial aid applications, in addition to the socioemotional aspect, but I’ve also been given the opportunity to flourish creatively. From planning our Senior Wall, to hallway bulletin boards, to finally crafting a newsletter from scratch, I’ve been able to see all kinds of tangible outputs of my vision.
It’s because of the multifacetedness of this position that 12+ has helped me to develop confidence, professionally. This has been my greatest learning experience yet. When I tell people what I do for work, their usual response is something along the lines of “Wow, that must be really fulfilling/satisfying/rewarding.” While this is obviously true since I do enjoy my job, it’s not in a way where it feels like without me, my students wouldn’t know what steps to take towards their future. At Hill-Freedman, being a fellow is fulfilling and satisfying and rewarding to me because of everything my students have shown me. Ranging from their academic abilities and accomplishments, to their hopes and dreams, to their sense of humor and their pet peeves, to merely just the way they play Uno. They have voluntarily shown me the sides of themselves that they love and they hate, the sides of themselves they hold in high regard or the sides they have doubts about. Being able to be a part of their lives while guiding them to create their future, while witnessing their personalities and the people they are becoming, is what makes being a fellow “fulfilling/satisfying/rewarding.”
