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Taylor Aleo

Mrs. Gravel

IDS 12B

9 May 2019

Reflection Essay

Four years. Forty months. One hundred and sixty weeks. Time is endless, but at some

point everything must come to an end. Spending these past four years at MMSTC has truly flown

by and I would not trade this experience for the world. Yes, there were tears. Yes, there were

laughs. Yes, there were long nights, but this program has shaped me to be who I am today and I

can already see the positive impacts that it currently has and will also have on me in the future.

Through the many career days and college visits, MMSTC has helped me decide on what

I want to do for a living. I have always known that I wanted to go into the medical field. With

ideas from being a doctor to a nurse to an anesthesiologist, I was always finding reasons to

choose another path in the medical field. This year Mrs. Gravel helped me organize a job shadow

with an emergency room doctor. The doctor was willing to answer any questions that I had and

made me feel comfortable. I was able to see trauma and many patients while dealing with

doctors, residents, and nurses. This experience solidified my love for taking care of others in a

hospital setting--especially in the emergency room. I now know that I am interested in becoming

a nurse practitioner, which is similar to a physician's assistant, and that I can handle the stress

and excitement of the medical field. MMSTC is a one of a kind school that was capable of giving

me this opportunity. With a small amount of students and an abundance of successful alumni, job

shadows and advice can easily be given through these connections.

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In addition to working with alumni and professionals, I have collaborated with my

classmates in group projects many times at MMSTC. At first it was awkward to agree on

deadlines and expectations with a group, but with more and more experience, it became second

nature. I have always been comfortable with talking and working with others, but working on

high level projects with a variety of students now gives me the confidence to do this in college. I

have had experiences with a series of groups, and now I know what a good partner and a bad

partner is.

Taking everything into account, the MMSTC family is what I will miss the most. It

sounded cliche as a freshman when everyone told us that we would be so close after four years

that this place would be a second home. Now I realize how true this actually is. I have made

some of my best friends here and look up to many of the teachers. From going to Mrs. Tallman

everyday for college advice to asking Mrs. Cybulski for opinions on which homecoming dress I

should wear, this place is a comfort for all of us. It makes me sad to think that in college I won’t

be as close with my teachers and classmates, but I do know that I will be welcome back to

MMSTC to visit anytime in the future. The MMSTC family has cheered me up when I am sad,

given me endless advice, and many laughs to last me a lifetime.

All in all, MMSTC is a one of a kind program. In certain moments it may seem as if it

isn’t worth it, but believe me it is. Not only does it help with getting into colleges, but it has

prepared me for jobs, college, and life. Just by looking at students at my home school I can tell

that I am ahead of the game in all of these aspects, and MMSTC has a huge role to thank in that.

Thank you for a memorable four years, forty months, and one hundred and sixty weeks.

Although as freshmen it seemed like an endless journey, everything must come to an end.
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