I had the pleasure of interviewing Mckayla Robinette. She was part of NECP’s first graduating class in 2017 and has done quite well for herself since then. Graduating from Brevard College in 2020, she received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Sustainable Agriculture, and Pre-Law. In 2022, she completed her Master of Science in Rural Sociology from Auburn University. She is now working on completing her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at Walden University. Currently, she works for the North Carolina Agramedicine Institute as the Resource Specialist for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network of North Carolina. Her responsibilities include connecting people in agriculture to resources that can help improve their way of life, such as mental health education and support, legal and financial details, as well as introducing these people to other agricultural professionals and organizations. When asked if NECP did an adequate job of preparing her for college and the real world, Robinette expressed that the school did a great job. An upside was since she mainly took AP and dual-enrolled courses, the courses transferred to her undergraduate program, thus having fewer classes to take when she reached college.
A course that really helped her was AP US History. Robinette explained the class pushed her to learn new study methods, time management skills, and critical thinking. “I am glad I learned those skills early on since many of my college friends struggled to adjust,” commented Robinette. However, the past student did say she was a bit jealous of the current NECP students who attend trade courses like welding and autobody since she did not have those opportunities.
Robinette has done her fair share of traveling, visiting 43 states, working summer internships in Nebraska and Washington DC, completing her master's degree in Alabama, and traveling to Canada, Greece, and the Bahamas. “I highly recommend traveling as much as possible!” Robinette excitedly replied. She described the experiences as making her a more self-confident and independent person because she could not rely on others to make her decisions. A way she cut down costs on traveling in college was by applying to educational grants offered by her college that covered airfare and hotels to not be stifled by financial barriers. Finally, when asked if she had any advice for current NECP students, Robinette replied, “Do it…whatever “it” looks like. No one should let rejection or self-doubt hold them back from reaching their goals.” She explained that everything she has achieved these past years started with: “I’ll apply and see what happens.” As of now, Mrs. Robinette, a graduate of North East Carolina Prep, has no regrets.
- By Diana Lopez
Josie Wadsworth
For this issue, I had the opportunity to interview Josie Wadsworth. She is a more recent NECP graduate from the class of 2022. Having decided to attend a college in Chicago, Wadsworth currently studies at Moody Bible Institute and majors in Integrated Ministry Studies. She strives to be a counselor after her graduation. When asked about what she misses about her high school years the most, she replied “The innocence of high school.” Explaining that in high school, while there is stress, students are allowed more time to relax and enjoy their childhood. In college, students do have more freedom and opportunities but it is a higher level of stress with more responsibilities. While she appreciates the opportunity NECP gave her to take college and AP classes which helped with her college preparation, she wishes there had been a class to teach her how to perform life skills such as resume writing, interviewing skills, and lessons on taxes. Now, school and college help with learning skills for future jobs but certain skills can only be learned through experience and traveling. Wadsworth highly recommends traveling outside of North Carolina. “There’s so much more to the world and traveling helps you understand it,” commented Josie. It helps you gain more empathy and compassion for different people since it is easy to become stuck with certain perspectives in our small corner of the world. However, Wadsworth advises that before you graduate and worry about life as an adult, you need to enjoy high school. “Go on adventures, be intentional about adventures, and don’t take this time for granted,” Wadsworth stated. She made the point that life will only become more and more stressful and frustrating, so enjoy the little things in life. Wadsworth remembers the stressful nights and trying to figure out which college to go to but she advises that between all of the chaos, try to find the good in it all.
By Diana Lopez