From the time we were little, people always asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a little kid, most of us answered with “ballerina, football player, president,” or all of the above. Now, “when you grow up” seems just around the corner, and the majority of us squirm at that dreaded dinner table discussion.

For some CHS students, however, there is an answer ready to fly off the tongue. Here are some students who  know exactly where they are going, and how they plan on getting there.

Sophomore Josie Monson

Q: What career are you considering pursuing?

A: I want to go to Johns Hopkins for six years, undergraduate and graduate school, to become a pediatric nurse practitioner.

Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest?

A: Yes and no. Yes, because I’ve been wanting to go into the medical field for my entire life, but for the past two or three years I’ve done a lot more research to look into different jobs, opportunities and colleges. No, because the main reason I started looking into it seriously is because my father got diagnosed with stage four cancer and got surgery last year. When that happened, I realized being a medical professional was something I wanted to do because when they helped my father, it showed me what a difference I could make in someone’s life. I love children, which led me to pediatrics. Even though it sounds cheesy, I want to do something that makes a difference. Religion is a huge part of my family’s life, and I believe God heals people, but I find it really respectful that medical professionals dedicate their lives to helping others.We need to do our part instead of just waiting for help from God. We need to do what we can.

Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career?

A: I’ve been taking a lot of science courses and have been doing a lot of research on the colleges available. I’ve also been trying to get in touch with people who have similar professions to find expertise.

Q: What do you plan to do in the future to prepare for it?

A: I plan to attend Johns Hopkins.

Q: Do you have a role model? How does this person help drive your aspiration?

A: Not so much a role model, but my little sister. She is only 7  and for me, it’s a parental relationship more than a “braiding each other’s hair” one. I’m her only older sister so I feel a pressure to do my best and try to at least attempt to set a good example for her. Johns Hopkins is such a hard school to get into. I want to show her that it can happen; it’s just a matter of dedication and persistence.

Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career?

A: CHS has a wide selection of courses especially within the sciences that have helped me better prepare for courses down the road and college. Because CHS is such a good school, it looks pretty good for colleges, too.

Freshman Josie Bourelly

Q: What career are you considering pursuing?

A: I want to be an actress.

Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest?

A: I’ve known since I was 8 after I had performed in my first show at Adventure Theatre over the summer.

Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career?

A: I’ve been taking acting classes, auditioning for film and shows and participating in multiple straight acting and musical theatre performances.

Q: What do you plan to do in the future to prepare for it?

A: I will continue taking classes and improving on my technique so that when job opportunities arise I will be well prepared for them.

Q: Do you have a role model? How does this person help drive your aspiration?

A: I do have many role models–probably my most prominent ones are Taylor Swift and my mom. Taylor Swift is one because I had a really rough time in elementary and parts of middle school where I didn’t fit in because I was “the theatre kid,” which carries a lot of negative connotations, though it contains no negative meaning. Taylor went through the same struggles since she was so self assured about what she wanted in life, and it backlashed on her quite a bit as a child. But she pursued her goal–and look at her now! I strive to follow in her footsteps, as well as my mother’s, who has been able to manage a company, three kids, and our crazy schedules, all with love and compassion.

Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career?

A: CHS has helped me prepare by giving me opportunities to apply my acting knowledge to live theatre.

Senior Jack Wathieu

Q: What career are you considering pursuing?

A: With a career in architecture, I think my primary goal is to find a place to keep being ambitious and to keep experimenting with what the boundaries of the profession. I want to create space that is an extension and interpretation of people’s culture and needs.

Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest?

A: I first thought about it when I was 8, visiting various cities and towns in Europe, and seeing a lot of famous buildings with my aunt and uncle, both of whom are architects.

Q: What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career?

A: I’ve read about thousands of buildings, read a lot of theoretical work and drawn a lot of buildings. I have also had an internship at a local architecture firm since the 8th grade. I also am the president and founder of the Architecture Club. In the future, I want to write a lot of theory, and study the subject in depth. I also want a general liberal arts education at some point, so that my interpretation and work can be more relevant in society.

Q: Do you have a role model? How does this person help drive your aspiration?

A: I have a few role models, which include Steven Holl, who is my favorite architect, Peter Zumthor Lebbeus Woods’s theory, Alejandro Alavera’s work, and Thom Mayne’s thinking methodology. I also like the energy Bjarke Ingles has.

Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career?
A: Churchill has helped me in some ways. I use what I learn in certain classes to drive some of my thinking on architecture. These classes have included math, English, and Biology. Art classes also helped me develop drawing skills.

Sophomore Aliya Klein

Q: What career are you considering pursuing?

A: After graduating from law school, I would like to become a foreign diplomat or international lawyer. I want to work with people from different countries and spend time in different cultures or environments.

Q: How long have you known this is what you want to do? Was there a certain time or event that made you realize your interest?

A: Starting in seventh grade, I knew I loved foreign language, so I decided I wanted to pursue a career possibly regarding French or maybe another language. In high school, I developed an inclination toward culture and government studies, as those two topics also interested me on an international level. Because of that, I decided I wanted a career in international law.

Q:What have you been doing up to this point to prepare for that career?

A: I am going to be in a French immersion program this summer, and in school I’ve taken four years of French as well as two AP social studies courses. Next year, I want to take AP Comparative Government to build upon my knowledge of global economies and political systems. I plan on participating in Model UN, and joining the French Honors Society.

Q: Do you have a role model? How does this person help drive your aspiration?

A: There are so many people I’ve interacted with who have such intriguing views of the world around us. It was so interesting to talk to them and build relationships with them, because their friendships provided me with the opportunity to learn so much more about how fascinating and different other countries are from the place that I live.

Q: How has CHS helped you prepare for this career?

A: Churchill has been a very unique starting point for me. I’ve met all kinds of different people and learned how to work diligently and frequently while managing other important tasks. While the class curriculums currently in place are not necessarily extremely beneficial to my career path, I feel as if Churchill has been key in guiding me to mastery of time management skills, experiences with culture and different backgrounds, ability to balance social and academic lives and  most importantly, given me a taste of what my adult life may resemble based on my decision making.