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 Sierra Loucks!

What year did you graduate from WYWLA?

It's a complicated answer. I wanted to walk with my classmates, “The inaugural class of 2012”, as we were the first class to graduate from the school beginning in 2012 in 6th grade to 12th. I walked the stage in 2019, but officially I graduated in 2020 after deciding to stay at WYWLA and earn more college credits at Saint Augustine's University, and to figure out what exactly I wanted to go to school for.

How long were you at WYWLA?

6th - 13th grade, so 8 years.

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 liked the opportunity it provided in regards to leadership development, to really hone in on what qualities make a good leader is a great skill, women's empowerment was a big plus. The biggest thing, though, COLLEGE CLASSES!! I definitely got a lot of that. 

Honestly, I remember all of my teachers fondly, even the ones that sometimes gave me a hard time. But Dr. Terry, Miss Wormald, and Mrs. Watkins were HUGE influences on how I treated college and the paths I chose.

I wanted to pursue science, but I added a minor in English around my second year's second semester. A lot of science jobs look for people who can turn science into something digestible, so it really worked out. I also love analyzing literature, which really lends itself to those research skills. 

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

I’m so much more loved and supported than I think I am when I’m at the end of my limit. That’s the thing about WYWLA, nobody ever gives up on you.  Mrs. Solomon and Mrs. Watkins both had to put up with a LOT of poor studying habits, but they noticed class participation, and an eagerness to learn. Where you may struggle in certain ways, they know how to champion you in others. 

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

Outside of school, I volunteered at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences for over a year in the Paleontology lab preparing fossil specimens. I was a member of the Raleigh Youth Council (eventually joining the board as Publicity Chair), and I also did a little time with the Raleigh Teen Court. 

At WYWLA, I was in iNEST, briefly in student government, Going Green Club,  and I wrote a few plays that we ended up performing for Black History Month! Although I can’t remember if that was high school or middle school. I was also in Yearbook.

Mrs. Watkins championed me in so many ways. Her feedback on my writing, both constructive and approving, was incredibly encouraging. I loved talking with her after class to see how I could tackle what I was struggling with. 

Miss Wormald and Dr. Terry would look me in the eye and tell me when they were disappointed in my work. But this I feel championed me when I needed to be told that I wasn’t working at my best. They see the potential in you as a student, and want you to see it too. I think everyone at WYWLA does.

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

I can’t remember. I think 32? Enough that by my second year, I was already a junior. 

What did you choose as your major? What is your current job/career?

I majored in Environmental Science and double minored with Biology and English.  I currently work as an Insectary and Plant Production Technician rearing insects at BASFs Agricultural Solutions site, but I will be starting a new job in October for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission as a Wildlife Technician collecting white tail deer lymph node samples and testing them for Chronic Wasting Disease. My aim is to go back to school and get my master's! I also work at a mushroom stand at the Raleigh Farmers Market on Sundays.

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

6th grade OWLS: Everything you learn in middle school will go with you into high school. Even the teachers. Hold onto who you are now, you’ll be shocked at how much you’ll grow in the next 6 years. 

9th Grade Owls: Take courses you’ll enjoy, but try to hone in on the ones you are SKILLED at. Try to take study breaks where you have fun and hang out with your friends so you don’t get burnt out. You want to love to learn, not dread the homework. 

For the seniors: it’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. Just remember there's something to learn everywhere you look, so don’t EVER stop asking questions. You’ll never know everything, so why stop? 

For everyone: Stop being so hard on yourself. You’re doing great.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have lots of different hobbies, so I always enjoy learning something new albeit no thanks to being restless. I love to read, play with my pets, cross stitch, go on hikes, aimlessly drive, bake (I’m trying to perfect a vegan banana bread recipe), play Magic the Gathering and Borderlands, and I unfortunately don’t draw as much anymore but I’m trying to get back into it! I also collecting plants. 

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

I applied to Western Carolina University and William Peace University. I got into both but ultimately chose Western. Not only did the mountains bring me an immediate sense of calm but the campus tour really cemented that the school was full of opportunities I wanted to explore. Everyone there seemed different and unique, which was a plus for me. 

How did high school prepare you for college? 

High school prepared me with learning how to get work done independently, but most importantly, how to speak  thoughtfully with my own voice while listening respectfully to others, and to hold value to doing research before I speak.

What was your impression of life in college?  What was college life like?

College life was a lot like high school in some regards, but more self-initiative.  I received a grant position as a biological technician in the herbarium, which allowed me to work with the Entomology Lab and the Mammalogy peeps, which gave me a lot of opportunity for career exploration.  On a random day after class I walked into the Mountain Heritage Center (A museum on campus), and after striking a conversation with the gallery supervisor at the time I landed a job there giving people tours until eventually I was traveling with the education coordinator to schools, then finally going with the Collections curator to people’s homes to collect the artifacts I’d be giving tours about! 

College life is all about charting your own path and learning how to navigate through different options all at once. Being independent really does wonders, but being self assured and well informed of the decisions you’re making does even more.