I was blessed to be able to have a career as a teacher and as a coach. The best part about teaching and coaching is the young people. I got to spend my career around young people who had energy, enthusiasm, and dreams. Young people are inspiring!
I have enjoyed this project as much as any. I reached out to some 2021 Galesburg HS grads to see what they have done the last four years, and what their plans are going forward. It is no surprise- their stories are very inspiring!
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences!!
Reid Hawkins
Massey- What sports and or activities did you participate in at GHS?
Reid- During my time at GHS, I was involved in football where I was a center and defensive tackle, and track where I threw shot put and discus. I was also involved in various extracurricular activities such as Care, National Honors Society, and Student Leadership Committee.
Massey- What was your favorite class and favorite teacher at GHS?
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
Reid- After graduating from GHS, I moved on to earn my bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois. I chose Illinois because I was raised by two Illini graduates, and various other family members also attended the U of I, so growing up, whenever I thought about college, the University of Illinois always crossed my mind. Looking back, I am very thankful to have attended Illinois as it has provided so many opportunities to explore my interests, develop life-long friendships, and put me on a trajectory to be successful in my future career.
Massey- What did you study or major in?Reid- While in college, I majored in Agriculture and Consumer Economics. I chose this because my family has farmed for generations, and growing up I was constantly surrounded by agriculture; so I have always had agriculture in my life and want to do all I can to make a difference in farmers' lives and the agricultural industry as a whole.
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
Reid- One class I took that was not required by my college major was a class on negotiations. I took a wide range of classes at the University of Illinois, some that were required and very beneficial to my major, and others that were random electives or GenEds. Negotiations was an elective that I enrolled in last minute during my sophomore year, and it turned out to be one of the most valuable classes I have ever taken, as it taught me an important life skill that I have been able to implement in my career and personal life.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Reid- As a college student studying agriculture, I had the opportunity to experience various internships with multiple different agriculture companies over the past three summers. One internship that stood out to me the most was my most recent internship with Corteva Agriscience, where I was a Production Agronomy Intern in Constantine, Michigan. This experience stood out to me the most because it was my first internship where I moved away from home, to an area where I had never been and knew absolutely nobody. During my summer with Corteva, I made so many connections with agronomists, seed sales representatives, and most importantly, farmers in the southern Michigan area. Before this experience, I had little to no knowledge of what went into the seed production side of agriculture, so as I learned seed corn production, as a bonus I was also exposed to completely different growing conditions, farming practices, and agronomic views, which overall strengthened my agronomic knowledge.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Reid- To have fun and enjoy life in college outside of school, one thing I enjoyed doing most was watching the Illini play football or basketball. As this did not take up all my free time, I always enjoyed going out on the town with friends on weekends as well.
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
Reid- 10 years from now, wherever I end up and wherever my career takes me, I hope to always be seen as a leader and mentor to those in the agricultural industry and in the community I live in. Personally, I hope to eventually move back closer to the area near my family and hometown, and to start a family of my own.
Sophie Lotz
Massey- What sports and or activities did you participate in at GHS?
Sophie- I was on the swim team and was a basketball cheerleader.
Massey- What was your favorite class and favorite teacher at GHS?
Sophie- My favorite class was honors American studies and my favorite teacher was Mrs. Florine.
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
Sophie- I attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I made a great group of friends there and had an amazing experience in their education program.
Massey- What did you study or major in?
Sophie- I decided to major in elementary education after working in the E-learning classrooms at discovery depot children’s museum my senior year of high school.
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
Sophie- My first US history course was one of my favorite classes outside of my major. Anything related to history is really interesting to me, and I decided to get my history minor after taking that class.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Sophie- One of my favorite experiences was volunteering at the community center in Cedar Rapids as part of my education classes. My classmates and I went once a week to teach a science or social studies lesson as part of the afterschool program. I also had the opportunity to work one on one to teach a student how to read one semester. The experience helped improve my teaching, and I was able to build great relationships with the students.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Sophie- I made sure to spend as much time as possible with my roommates and friends. Most days we would go on walks after everyone was done with class. I also loved going to games or school events on the weekends.
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
Sophie- The best advice I got was to go to everything at the start of college. I made most of my friends at the orientation events and things going on around campus at the start of the year. I would give the same advice to anyone heading to college, the relationships you build are the best part of the experience.
Massey- What are your plans this fall? Where will you be?
Sophie- This fall I will be living in Chicago and working in Chicago Public Schools as a 1st grade teacher!
Massey- In 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? And where do you hope to be living?
Sophie- In 10 years I hope to be pursuing a doctoral degree in education and living around the Chicago area!
John Knapp
Massey- What sports and or activities did you participate in at GHS?
John- At GHS, I spent four years on the baseball field. In my senior year, I joined the golf team. Both sports grounded me in discipline and patience.
Massey- What was your favorite class and favorite teacher at GHS?
John- My favorite class was American History with Mr. Wolfe. Many of the lessons I have gained from Mr. Wolfe throughout the years shape the way I see the world today.
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
John- After graduation from GHS, I spent a year working and traveling, taking on projects across the Midwest, Vermont, Oregon, and even the U.S. Virgin Islands. During that time I fell in love with timber framing, not only the work, but the people, the purpose, and the tradition. It led me to the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston South Carolina, where I now study timber framing and classical architecture. I’m learning how to build things that last, with both my hands and my head.
Massey- What did you study or major in?
John- My major is Timber Framing. I chose it because of my love for the culture and the craft, it’s a way for me to leave something lasting and beautiful.
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
John- One class that has stuck with me was Architecture & Society. It walked us through the history of how people have built shelters since the beginning of time, from stone structures to the skyscrapers in New York City. We explored not just what we build, but why, and how architecture shapes our environment.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
John- I’ve been lucky to learn from some incredible places and people. My first summer internship, I worked with a timber frame carpenter in northern Vermont, restoring old barns and homes. The next year took me to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, building beautiful homes and soaking in Appalachian culture. This summer I studied abroad in Spain, learning from artisans and craftsmen and women whose traditions stretch back generations. Now I’m in Chattanooga, Tennessee, working for a high-end carpentry company.
Massey- School and training can be hard work, what do you do to unwind?
John- I spend my free time surfing or riding my bike. It’s a good way to explore new areas, clear my head, and stay moving.
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
John- The best advice I received when I left for college was to soak up every second and take nothing for granted. It's been such a privilege to be able to learn from such amazing professors and artisans while also experiencing such a beautiful, historic city and I have done my best to be a sponge. My advice to people headed to college is to fully immerse yourself. Try new things, experience a new city, make new friends, get out of your comfort zone, and do interesting things while you have no anchors.
Massey- What are your plans this fall? Where will you be?
John- This fall, I’ll be entering my final year at the American College of the Building Arts. My capstone is a full timber frame project, one I’m designing, cutting, and raising myself. It’ll be the culmination of everything I’ve learned throughout my time at ACBA and will take up most of my time this upcoming year.
Massey- In 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? And where do you hope to be living?
John- In ten years, I hope to be standing in the frame of my own home that I have built with my own hands. I want to have my own timber frame business, something honest and lasting. I don't know exactly where yet, I still have a lot of places to see and experience before I make that decision.
Mikayla- As a student as GHS, I was a football and basketball cheerleader. I was a student council committee co-chair and a part of CARE, key club, yearbook, and project graduation.
Massey- What was your favorite class and favorite teacher at GHS?
Mikayla- My favorite class at GHS was Anatomy and Physiology with Mrs. Good. As someone who wanted to go into the medical field, this was my first exposure to learning about the human body and I felt very engaged and excited during this class to have the opportunity to explore my passion for medicine. Some of my favorite teachers were Mrs. Kniker and Mrs. Wolfe, who Itook math with, and Mrs. Florine, my advocacy teacher for all four years. I always felt like they had a real passion for teaching and were invested in their students’ success, inside and outside of the classroom.
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
Mikayla- I attended the University of Iowa and just recently graduated in May. When I attended a college visit here, I immediately felt at home on the campus and was excited about the opportunities I would have at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to gain experience in the medical field. At this school, I have been able to participate in two research labs and volunteer in multiple units in the hospital, including the NICU, where I was able to hold infants who did not receive visitors often and were in need of some extra attention. I know I made the best possible choice for myself due to these amazing experiences I have participated in.
Massey- What did you study or major in?
Mikayla- At Iowa, I majored in biomedical sciences with a minor in global health studies. I was also on the pre-medicine track, which was the main factor in choosing my major. This major is dedicated for students interested in science that are planning on entering the medical field, as my coursework combined the necessary prerequisites for medical school, such as organic chemistry and physics, along with other classes that would be interesting to me, such as endocrinology and neurobiology.
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
Mikayla- As an elective, I took a Maternal and Child Health seminar that I found very interesting and eye-opening. In this course, I was able to learn a lot about the largest global issues facing these populations and about programs that have been created and implemented to reduce morbidity, mortality, and health disparities. As someone who wants to practice medicine, this course was significant in showing me the types of social factors that can impact someone’s access to healthcare and the course showed me what I can do to help my own patients in the future.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Mikayla- During the summer, I worked as a student research assistant in a clinical research trial. This research is the study of “Efficacy on Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis” or EDQ-MS. Throughout this experience, I made many connections with physicians, developed friendships with my coworkers, and learned about the disease of MS and how diet changes can have a large impact on quality of life. I was an unblinded member of the team, so I was privy to the randomly assigned diet of each participant. For this role, I prepare the supplements, paperwork, and blood collection tubes for each visit. My other project consists of requesting medical records from both participants and their medical providers and using these records to determine any adverse events that have occurred to assess study safety. This experience allowed me to gain insight into the world of medical research and discover if it is something I want to pursue in my future.
Massey- College is hard work, but I am sure it’s also fun. What are things you did to relax and have fun?
Mikayla- One of my favorite parts about being a Hawkeye is attending the Iowa football games. There is always an atmosphere of excitement and sense of community when Hawkeye fans gather at Kinnick Stadium to cheer on our team. I’ve met some of my best friends at Iowa, so doing anything with them is always a good way for me to wind down and destress, from grabbing coffee to having a move night. Volunteering in the NICU was always a good source of relaxation for me, as I got to slow down for a few hours a week and enjoy some quiet time with some sweet little babies.
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
Mikayla- The best advice I received when leaving for college was to remain as open-minded as possible. College is a completely new ball game and it can be very easy to feel overwhelmed and want to stick to things you are comfortable with. However, it’s also a chance to discover new things that you might fall in love and create new friendships and relationships that you might keep for the rest of your life. I procrastinated applying for my first research job, as I was nervous that I wasn’t ready and felt overwhelmed. However, once I finally did, I met so many amazing people that helped me in applying to medical school and made some new best friends, one of which I will be living with next year during medical school. I wish I would have stepped out of my comfort zone sooner, and I would give this same advice to people heading off to college soon, as you never know what might surprise you if you give it a chance.
Massey- What are your plans this fall? Where will you be?
Mikayla- This fall, I will be staying at the University of Iowa and attending the Carver College of Medicine. I am so excited to be able to stay at the school I’ve made the best memories during the past four years to pursue my M.D. and continue on my path to becoming a pediatrician.
Massey- In 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? And where do you hope to be living?
Mikayla- In 10 years, I hope that I will have completed my pediatric residency and will be a practicing pediatrician. I’m not exactly sure where I want to be living, but I hope that I will remain near my family. I am open to returning to Galesburg, but also open to new opportunities for personal and professional growth. I have quite a few years before I can make that decision, so I’m not too worried about it right now!
Riley Hickey
Massey- What sports and or activities did you participate in at GHS?
Riley- In high school I played football, basketball and tennis as well as being a member of National Honors Society, Shootin’ Hoops n Smilin’, and Project Graduation.
Massey- What was your favorite class and favorite teacher at GHS?
Riley- Some of my favorite teachers were Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe. They worked well with us to help understand as much as possible when struggling on a project, assignment, or homework. Along with them, Mr. VanHootegem was amazing as he had very interactive classes and helped introduce me into the business world which I was able to take with me for a business minor in college. Lastly, Mrs. Foster was one of the best as I had her for multiple classes and she was always making each day enjoyable.
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
Riley- After graduating, I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a few of my good friends from our high school class. I made so many friends and memories along the way and was even able to live with a couple of Galesburg graduates for some years. I graduated this May and look forward to putting my major to great use back here in Galesburg.
Massey- What did you study or major in?
Riley- I was a Recreation, Sport, and Tourism major with a focus in sports management and a business minor. I decided to go this route in pursuing my degree because I knew that I would be wanting to stick around sports as much as possible to work. I wasn’t sure if that would be through coaching, administration, or any other way. I then picked up a business minor to provide extra support in whatever decision or path I chose to go.
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
Riley- I took an advertising class at UIUC that was a very interesting course for me. I enjoyed going to the lecture everyday because of Professor Steve Hall. There were so many great real world examples and I was able to make some friends through interactive classes.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Riley- Last summer I worked in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky as a ticket operations intern. Our main focus was to process deals on the back end working closely with the sales team and filling as many seats as we could. It was a great time to be in the league and with the team. We had the highest attendance in Sky history with a 21% increase in average attendance. It was overall a great experience as the culture in our department was amazing, coworkers pushing other coworkers to their best abilities, positive attitudes each day, and relationships that I will cherish for a long time to come. My supervisors were very open, transparent, and great advisors in helping me reach future success. Outside of work, it was my first time living up in the city and it was so much fun. A lot of my friends from college lived in the area and helped make it a smooth transition.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Riley- At Illinois, I made sure to get season football and basketball tickets each year, and enjoyed being in ‘Orange Krush’ and ‘Block I’ student sections. I was able to see some intense games, big upsets, successful seasons, and a Big Ten Championship for Men's Basketball. Additionally, I played intramural football, basketball and soccer. We were able to get a large group of friends together and have a few good teams along the way.
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
Riley- I would strongly suggest all high school graduates to at least take some deep thought into attending college. It provides such a powerful experience with valuable lessons outside of the classes and course work itself. Countless friends and opportunities have come from my past four years in school. If you are attending college next year, a piece of advice I would give is to go to as many welcome week events as you can in your first week or two of school. This will provide important chances to get to know people, join clubs, and get familiar with the campus.
Massey- What are your plans this fall? Where will you be?
Riley- This year, I moved back to Galesburg and look to join the high school football staff. I am excited to be able to coach alongside my dad and have the opportunity to coach my younger brothers as well. I’m still getting things figured out but I hope to possibly work for the school district.
Massey- In 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? And where do you hope to be living?
Riley- In 10 years, I look forward to staying in Galesburg and being close to my family. I hope to either be coaching still or in the high school administration.
Camellia Schwartzman
Massey- What sports and or activities did you participate in at GHS?
Camellia- I participated in tennis, basketball, marching band, jazz band and Academic Challenge (a test taking club) throughout high school.
Massey- What was your favorite class and favorite teacher at GHS?
Camellia- My favorite classes were without a doubt AP Calculus with Mrs. Kniker and AP Physics 1&2 with Mr. Baxter. They are both such enthusiastic teachers and have led to me pursuing STEM in college.
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
Camellia- I just finished undergrad at Macalester College in St. Paul MN. It is a small liberal arts college in the same academic conference as Knox. While I didn’t think so at first, Macalester ended up being the best place I could have ended up at. On one hand, I was able to continue both of my passions: oboe in the orchestra and tennis on the varsity team. Academically, I had an incredibly supportive advisor and a ton of opportunities from becoming certified in high power rocketry to attending the UNCCC COP28 conference in Dubai, U.A.E (Fall 2023) as part of my school’s delegation.
Massey- What did you study or major in?
Camellia- I ended up choosing to major in Physics. There were two reasons. At the time, I was in a first year course called Rocket Science and another class called The Science of Renewable Energy. I was really enjoying the energy class and went to my professor’s office hours. He basically said, well if you enjoy this topic, you should major in Physics. That was that and he ended up becoming my primary advisor!
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
Camellia- In my last semester, I told a class called Kaleidoscope of China: Chinese in Context. It was basically a class where you learn about current issues and Chinese culture (in Chinese!) through readings and films instead of a textbook. It really tested my new skills (as I only started learning Chinese in college) and I got a lot better at writing essays in Chinese.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Camellia- I have so many amazing research internships for the past three summers. Of them, my favorite would have to be last summer. I was a research assistant at Yamagata University in northern Japan. I learned so much about electrochemistry and that is the topic of research I am pursuing in graduate school! Outside of work, I got to explore so much in my small town. My favorite things to do were eat ramen for lunch and go to karaoke!
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Camellia- I have so many hobbies and interests that I never have enough time for everything! But lots of my free time was spent watching tv, reading, and going shopping at nearby yarn/book/stationary stores with friends!
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
Camellia- The best piece of advice before I left for college was from my grand aunt. She gave me a book called, “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be.” This message still sticks with me. I truly made th most out of my time at Macalester and I couldn’t have asked for a better college experience.
Massey- What are your plans this fall? Where will you be?
Camellia- This fall, I will start my PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. I’m very excited to start and I will be joining an amazing group of people working on research for renewable energy!
Massey- In 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? And where do you hope to be living?
Camellia- I’m not sure I have a plan yet! I have a few ideas. One possibility is to go back to Japan as a researcher or professor. Currently, I am working at NREL (National Energy Laboratory) in Golden, CO. My other dream is to become a full-time here!
Owen Wolfe
Massey- What sports and or activities did you participate in at GHS?
Owen- 4 years of baseball and 1 year of Golf.
Massey- What was your favorite class and teacher at GHS?
Owen- I enjoyed any PE classes, American History, and Current events. Two teachers who stood out to me (besides my parents) were Ryan Hart and Jake Miller.
Massey- What colleges have you attended? What school are you finishing up at? Why has it been a good choice for you?
Owen- I attended Monmouth College. It was a great choice for me. I met many of my best friends there, was able to complete a triple major in Business Administration, Accounting, and Marketing, I had a great support system of coaches, professors, and bosses/co-workers who I spent lots of quality time with and still talk to them very often, and on top of it all I was able to continue to play baseball for 4 more years and create countless memories doing that.
Massey- What did you study or major in?
Owen- I started as a Business Administration major because the job market was broad. My sophomore year I added an accounting double major to help me with a potential career in Finance or Accounting, and also give myself more options and set myself apart from other candidates. I later added another major in Marketing because I enjoyed the coursework and it just worked out that I could do all three.
Massey- What is a class outside of your major that you took that surprised you by being really interesting or fun? What made it interesting to you?
Owen- Lots of the classes I took outside of one major were going towards another major, so I didn’t take too many classes that didn’t count towards my majors. But during my freshman year, I took an American history class post civil war that I enjoyed.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Owen- During the summer after my sophomore year, I worked as an accounting intern for a construction company. I was located near Schaumburg in Barrington, IL. It was a good experience because I got to see what it was like working in an office and a real world setting, and they also did some cool things for us interns, like taking us to job sites and cubs games and escape rooms, things like that. They treated us well.
Massey- What is a summer job or internship that you took in college that was a great experience? Why was it such a great experience?
Owen- I always looked forward to going to baseball practice, playing games, bus rides, overnight trips, and all of those things. It was always a good time. But I loved to hang out with my friends, watch sports, play cards, and things like that outside of baseball.
Massey- What was the best advice you got when you left for college? What is the advice you would give to young people headed to college?
Owen- The best advice I received was pretty much just to put myself out there, which for me did take a while, but once I did that I started to feel a lot more comfortable. Advice I would give is just to keep showing up. Eventually you will get into a routine and it will all just work. Being there everyday for whatever it is will be the best thing you do.
Massey- What are your plans this fall? Where will you be?
Owen- I am not sure what my plans are yet. I am working this summer and will be working somewhere this fall. It just depends whether or not it is a full time or part time job. I am debating going back to school in the spring to play baseball again, I had to take a medical redshirt my junior year.
Massey- In 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? And where do you hope to be living?
Owen- I cannot look that far ahead into the future and I don’t know exactly what I want to do for work. All I can hope for is that I enjoy what I am doing and that I am still surrounded by good people!
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