University School will celebrate its 10th anniversary next school year, and our oldest Middle School graduates are now juniors in college. We keep in regular touch with our alumni (visits, emails, Mentor Nights, etc.), and I’ll be sharing profiles of graduates on Thursdays for the next few months.
First up is Anna Grace Ewing, MS class of 2009 (AKA “The Pioneers” and the first MS graduates). She is currently a Junior at the College of Charleston.
1. Activities/What I’m up to: Currently I’m still a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority here on campus as well as the Order of Omega honors fraternity. I just finished up an internship at Patrick Properties Hospitality and am still working at Rarebit on King Street. I enjoy being a member of the campus club Connected to Charleston as well as volunteering for my sorority’s philanthropy, Ronald McDonald House, and by participating in various Greek competitions on campus! I currently live near campus on Calhoun Street with six other girls, two dogs and a cat 🙂
2. Accomplishments: So far, I’ve maintained above a 3.5 every semester and am striving for a 4.0 this semester! I’ve had a few awards from my sorority and am hoping to obtain an officer position in Order of Omega.
3. College Plans: I’m majoring in International Business and double-minoring in Public Health and Asian Culture and Studies. I plan to go abroad to China for three weeks in June and take some classes for my minor over there!
4. Future Goals: I’m hoping to obtain another internship with a finance company over the summer and possibly maintain it throughout senior year. I’m on track to graduate on time and will hopefully score a job with an international firm to get a foot in the door after graduation.
5. Best USL memory: (I have so many!!!) What I loved most about USL included the people I was surrounded by – classmates, faculty, and mentors – and the opportunities we were given so often. Some of my favorite memories come from both simple activities we would all participate in, like walking to the Oak tree or going to Wild Wings, and the more planned activities that we were fortunate to have, like visiting MUSC and attending John McCain’s speech. I loved having the traditions of mentor nights and can still recall the movies we watched and laughs we shared. It’s hard to say which one of my memories from USL is my favorite, but I’m so very grateful for each and every one of them and the people I shared them with.
6. How USL helped me for High School: USL prepared me in Leadership and Life skills that I would eventually need in the coming years of high school (and beyond) – I knew how to use Excel before any of my peers, do effective Google searches, solve problems effectively, address emails properly, and was even more caught up on current events (shout out to you and CNN Student News!). I felt more prepared than most of my peers in many subjects, including Spanish, History, Science, and Writing because of the effective teaching skills used by the faculty at USL.
7. Advice: To today’s USL students, I would strongly advise that they take advantage of the relationships made in the classrooms, at mentor nights, and especially at LOTCs. I had no idea at the time that I was at USL what a resource people can be and how important making strong relationships can be. Definitely participate in job shadow-days, follow up with thank you cards, and keep in touch with adults you connect with. Students at USL are given such an advantage by going out into the real world and forming relationships early on. If an LOTC interested a student, I would recommend keeping in touch with the person of contact and make them remember you.
8. Anything else: Hmmm… If ever given the opportunity, definitely choose to ride with Mr. Kreutner!! 🙂
* You can see Anna Grace in the attached picture at a John McCain rally at what was then Alex’s (now Page’s Okra Grill) in January 2008, with her classmates working on a project for Mrs. Rowland in Spanish, and on an exploration of architecture with Sandy Logan (Mrs. Logan’s husband).
