Beyond The Nest is a feature that reaches out to WYWLA  graduates and interviews them to 

provide insights about their college or professional experiences.

This month we spotlight Hal Barcus!

How long were you at WYWLA?

I started at WYWLA in 2016 for my freshman year of high school and graduated in May of 2020.

Why did you choose WYWLA? What were some things you had in mind to get out of WYWLA? Did you? Who were your biggest influences at WYWLA?

I was initially encouraged to go to WYWLA by my parents. They recognized that it would be a really good opportunity for me to not only get college credits early, but to grow as a person and engage in education in an intentional and small environment. I was homeschooled until 7th grade, and attending a high school with small class sizes was ideal for me. I truly loved my time at WYWLA - don’t get me wrong, it was a little hard in the beginning to transition to a new school, as it is for many freshmen, but I grew to love it and flourish there. I got so much out of my time there - not just the college preparedness and credits, but I felt like I matured in that environment and was surrounded by a really supportive staff.

 What are some of the biggest lessons you learned at WYWLA?

One of the biggest lessons I learned at WYWLA (although probably a retrospective lesson) was to invest yourself and your time with intention. The more I invested in my time at WYWLA and joined in on activities, clubs, and friendships, the more I got out of it. High school can be an incredibly lonely experience, and it sucks that the way to get out of that is often to challenge it and force yourself to socialize. The times when I was more intentional at WYWLA and really became involved, the better I felt.

What were you involved in during your high school years? What staff members championed you while at WYWLA?  How?

While at WYWLA, I was part of the Student Government Association (SGA) and Juniorettes. I enjoyed both of these experiences, if not for what I learned within them and getting more involved in my school community - but for the resume experience it gave me! I had really great relationships with all of my teachers - especially Mrs. Watkins, Mrs. Feldman, and Mrs. Wilkes at the main campus, and many of my professors at Saint Augustine’s University- such as Dr. Njai, Dr. Greene, Professor Brooks, and Dr. Booker.

Approximately how many college credits did you earn through our partnership with St. Augustine’s University?

I graduated from WYWLA with 59 college credits. I was able to intentionally choose classes that would transfer to North Carolina State University for the program I was interested in (Social Work).

Why did you choose Social Work major? What is your current profession?  

I chose to study Social Work in 8th grade. I come from a family of social workers and the career has always spoken to me. I currently have my Bachelor's and Master's of Social Work, and recently acquired my LCSW-A (Lincensed Clinical Social Worker Associate). I currently work as an outpatient therapist for a local therapy provider.

What advice would you offer to our 6th grade OWLS, 9th grade OWLS, and our senior OWLS?

For 6th grade OWLS, I would probably suggest that they invest their time into making friends, building community, and finding a place for themselves at WYWLA. Even if it is just 1 or 2 friends, which, for WYWLA numbers, is a pretty good number to have considering the class sizes, this will help carry you through middle school. I didn’t attend WYWLA in middle school, but many of the people I graduated with did, and I can see on social media that many of the ones who got close in 6th grade, are still close today, over 10 years later.

For 9th grade OWLS, I would suggest that they really invest in their hobbies and having things that they enjoy after school. I wish I had developed more hobbies in high school for my freetime, instead of discovering them now as I get older. Often in the moment, high school can feel like the end-all-be-all, and while it is definitely the biggest thing going on at that time, and I can only say this now that I am out of school, there is so much more out there and so much more to experience in the world. 

For senior OWLS, I would suggest that they take a breather. There is so much pressure from the world around them to work as hard as possible, choose their career, get a good job, etc., and that can be extremely daunting. I would encourage them to lean into their values - for me, these are friendship, family, and silliness, and try to find ways to be intentional about living through them. Life doesn’t end after high school - in fact, I will look back now and wish I didn’t care so much or worry so much about everything, and just remember I’m only 17/18! That’s so young! There is so much life ahead of me. 

What do you do in your spare time?  What are you involved with now that you’ve graduated college and are a young professional?

In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family and friends, do puzzles, build Legos, watch TV, and really relax. I think I worked really hard in high school and college, and now I am giving myself more time to indulge in life and enjoy the everyday. I am deeply involved in the mental health and LGBTQ+ community in Raleigh, and enjoy that as well. I derive a lot of fulfillment out of going at a slow pace, taking my time, and just enjoying what each day brings. It’s taken me years to get to this place, but it’s enough for me.

What colleges did you apply to/get accepted? Why did you choose your university?

I applied and was accepted into NCSU, Meredith, and East Carolina University. I chose to go to NCSU because of its financial aid offerings, being in-state, and being close to home. They are one of the only public colleges in Raleigh that offer a BSW program, which influenced my choice as well. For my master’s degrees, I applied and was accepted into UNC-CH and NCSU, and chose to go to NCSU due to their financial aid offerings and my existing relationship with the social work department there.

How did high school prepare you for college? How did college prepare you for your profession?

High school prepared me for college because it was so laborious! I truly think the time that I had to work the hardest in school was more freshman and sophomore year. I got used to time management, using an agenda, making to-do lists, and forming relationships with teachers. These skills would carry me in college, as I made spreadsheets every year of all my assignments and formed great relationships with faculty. 

As for my profession, college prepared me with a lot of the hard skills that I needed: managing tasks, following deadlines, working independently and with others, etc., but a lot of the soft skills I had to learn on my own (and I think really have to do with your temperament anyway). Social work is a very relational profession, and that’s where I tend to shine. I am a people person, and I like talking to people. I think I formed more of my soft skills through internships, volunteering, and in my personal relationships.

What was your impression of life at your university? Who formed part of your support system while in college?

At NCSU, it was a little tough because I attended from 2020-2022, so I didn’t have a “regular” college experience - but what does that even mean? Looking back on it, I don’t feel any resentment towards that, but I do wish I had more opportunities to be on-campus, get involved, and take classes in person. I think you gain SO much from these experiences, and having older siblings who got to experience that, I can see the benefit. I luckily was able to make some good friends while I was there, and when I could be in-person with people, it was extremely fulfilling. 

My support system while in college was my family. Like I said earlier, family is one of my core values in life, and I am incredibly lucky to have their support and be able to lean on them. Especially it being 2020, they were my lifeline, and I don’t know what life would be like without them, or if I would look back at this time so fondly, without their support.

Basically, in everything I have answered, it can basically be boiled down to: enjoy yourself, slow down, make friends, form hobbies, don’t take everything so seriously, this is just the beginning of your life, life continues after school, and invest your time with intention! Sounds easy enough, right?