The Column

Last week at Automotive High School, students and staff members attended the kickoff of the My Brother's Keeper program. WHSAD students had the opportunity to mingle with students from other high schools and begin learning from mentors. These sessions will focus on providing inspiration and guidance so that the participating students gain new insights into what it takes to achieve success. The following are narratives from staff and students about the experience. On Wednesday October 2, and Thursday October 3, the superintendent’s office held kickoff meetings for the My Brother's Keeper initiative started by former president Barack Obama back in 2014. The purpose of the program is to help boys and young men of color to reach their … [Read more...]

Thank you to Reggie for taking the time to answer the following questions about his start at Howard University and how WHSAD prepared him for the beginning of his college career. 1. What is college life at Howard University like?  It’s close to being an adult. Having to buy my own food and toiletries, and being responsible for everything that I’m involved in school-wise and socially has made it seem like I have my own apartment. Otherwise, D.C. is very slow paced compared to NYC. Even though I still have access to public transportation, I feel like NYC was more accessible to tour.  Being from NYC and now having to use a D.C. Metrocard and its different prices for different stops made it slightly complicated when I'm used to only … [Read more...]

Over the last couple of weeks, including the two days over the Rosh Hashanah recess, WHSAD students have been engaging in numerous activities. These include working on community projects that started last year, service work that has students partnering with local middle schoolers to revitalize outdoor spaces, and academic endeavors that pair subjects and make for more dynamic learning. The following are a few looks at what we have been up to. Community Service Weeding Event at M.S. 126 This past week, WHSAD students were able to be a part of a special act linking community and environment. The middle schoolers of M.S. 126 were greeted by high school students such as myself and others, who were more than eager to help them with … [Read more...]

The following are student narratives in which they share their experiences of volunteering at the high school fair and what skills they gained from these experiences. Weekends for me are two days strung together, created specifically for binge watching Netflix and going out. But this particular weekend, was given to WHSAD, and for good reason.  This weekend I decided, instead of doing nothing, to go and show my support for my school, which was an amazing choice.  Although I didn’t arrive on time, I still got to be a part of a great opportunity that helped me find a way to speak to people without wanting to bite my nails to nubs. Speaking to people has never been easy for me, with the copious amount of different mechanisms the human … [Read more...]

WHSAD is blessed to have so many community partners that help make our students’ years in high school more dynamic and connected to the real world. Because of these partners, students enjoy opportunities that develop their learning, provide them with a greater understanding of the world, and, oftentimes, give them a leg up by providing internships and even careers beyond high school. One such partner, The Park Avenue Armory, has helped enrich our school in the past and will continue to do so this school year. One particular instance of such enrichment is when WHSAD students traveled to the Armory this past Tuesday, September 17 to witness the work of artist-in-residence, Rosa Barba. In the following narratives, students provide their … [Read more...]

Thanks to the Salvadori Center, WHSAD students in the summer CareerClue program have been able to explore the multi-faceted nature of the architectural field. Students have learned from professional architects, engineers, construction managers, and many others. This week’s trip to CookFox architectural firm provided another experience to develop our students’ understandings of how vast and diverse the industry is. On this trip, we saw how CookFox practices sustainable building in their projects as well as in their own office.  CookFox is an innovator in designing environmentally sound buildings and their office space exemplifies such a vision. Some students who attended considered one adjective to describe the office setting of … [Read more...]

This summer, WHSAD students who have been participating in the SYEP Career Clue program have been granted several opportunities to travel to various firms to meet with architects, construction managers, engineers, and other professionals who work in the building process. These trips have provided students with insights as to what it takes to succeed in such firms, the collaborative processes involved in designing structures, and the need to approach projects with an open-mind and creative vision. All of these experiences have been possible due to the support of the Salvadori Center and its teachers, Roxanne Mejia, Lauren McIntyre, and Nina Romova. The following student narratives about the August 1st trip to engineering firm, WSP, … [Read more...]

On Thursday, July 25th WHSAD students visited the construction site of the Columbia University expansion. Perhaps the most interesting part of the experience was what the employees of Turner had to say. Most of what was said was not only surprising to all the students but also extremely important given the status of the Earth and its ongoing struggle with climate change. Turner recognizes this struggle and works directly to combat this issue. Since 2008, Turner has been ranked as number one among the country’s green contractors by Engineering News-Record. Turner has completed more than twice as much green work as the next ranked firm. As a company they’ve been ensuring that in all the work they do they enable the best and most sustainable … [Read more...]

On Thursday, July 18th students from WHSAD were granted the opportunity to visit Perkins Eastman. The students who visited ranged from several backgrounds, most had never been on a visit to an architectural-based design firm before, whereas others had done so numerous times, myself included. Despite the fact that I've seen several firms before, the visit to Perkins Eastman was unlike any other previous one. It stood out in almost every aspect. As soon as we entered [Perkins Eastman] everyone was extremely hospitable. The reason for this became apparent later on in the day when we were told that the core principal of the firm is being Human by Design. In short, this alludes to the fact that in all of the work they [Perkins Eastman] do, the … [Read more...]