Ashley, PILOT Program, Champlain Valley Union High School

As a self-described ‘shy person,’ Ashley was one of the 20 graduates of LLL’s PILOT program last year – a program which she initially thought had to do with flying planes! As a senior at Champlain Valley Union High School, Ashley never identified as a leader and considered herself a quiet person, but that all changed during her first PILOT seminar. She immediately felt comfortable with the rest of the group of juniors from 3 other area high schools because as she states “We were all there for the same purpose and interested in learning similar things.” During the program, Ashley thought her job shadowing experience at ARD, Inc. in Burlington was the most inspiring experience she had.   She has always had an interest in working internationally – she was born in France – and would like to join the Peace Corps, but didn’t really have an idea of what she would want to do as a job. While at ARD, she was able to explore and meet many people that had been in the Peace Corps and claims “It really opened my eyes and made me realize my dream job is realistic.”  

 

Throughout the year, she found herself developing her leadership skills in other places. During her classes at CVUHS, she would lead small group discussions, and share her thoughts and opinions with the class…something she previously felt unconfident doing. While international work is something Ashley is certainly passionate about, the PILOT program also opened her to other careers that she would not have considered otherwise. During the healthcare seminar day, a day she originally thought she wouldn’t enjoy, she found that she was interested in some of the fields that were included and stated “PILOT forced you to consider different options.” 

 

Ashley and others in PILOT also learned a great deal about Burlington as an ever-changing community. Not only did the program expose her to new organizations and resources, but she feels more at home here. Today, Ashley is studying at the University of Vermont and as a result of PILOT, believes she has the confidence and tools to be a leader, both in college and in the community.