This is the final installment of our Student Spotlight series where we feature one student from each of the five Career Academies. This month, we spoke with Grace Kpor, a senior in the Arts, Culture, and Design Academy. Grace has been at Atlantis since 5th grade.
Q: What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
A: I want to be an English major when I go to college, and I will most likely pursue a career as a writer and author. I have already started looking at colleges. Northeastern University and Gordon College are my top two picks right now.
Q: What are you working on in the Arts, Culture & Design Academy?
A: We are learning a bunch of different art styles and tying it back to culture. Right now, we are doing a segment on dream catchers. First, we learned about the culture, and then we designed our own dream catcher. The next step will be to create them.
Also, we are creating a gallery for an end-of-year showcase. We can do anything that interests us. I will be doing a writing showcase, while another girl in my class is doing makeup for her gallery and will be showing off different makeup looks through photos.
Q: How do you think the Arts, Culture & Design Academy is going to put you at an advantage in college?
A: I think the Academy will put me at an advantage because of the gallery. I know that in college they do projects like that where you have an entire year to produce something great and show off your skills. I think the internships will also help. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with someone who is very skilled in their field. I’d like to intern with a journalist at a newspaper or an English teacher.
Q: What advice do you have for students considering the Arts, Culture and Design Academy?
A: The Arts Academy is really fun and interesting. Because of the name, you may think the Academy is just for artists, but there’s so much more! Art is more than just drawing – there is writing and photography, you could be a makeup artist and let the face be your canvas, or a musician and write music. When we were in our old building we would go to TJ’s Music for class. I still go there for free lessons because I’m a student at Atlantis. I hope future students get to experience all that the Arts Academy has to offer by taking more field trips before they choose their Academy.
Q: Was there one field trip that left a lasting impression on you?
A: There was one field trip that tied into both the Arts Academy and the Health and Medicine Academy. We went to a museum called Body World. It shows the body with different sculptures and in different art forms. It was cool – almost unnerving – because the museum was lit really dark.