Katie Castle

She/her

Age: 18

How have you changed since freshman year?

My work ethic has probably gone down a bit. But I guess in terms of being able to think about things in different ways and look at things from different angles, that’s changed a lot. Because I came from Beverly Cleary where we didn’t talk about things from different points of view. I guess now I’m able to look at things from different angles, which has changed how I look at the world, and how I think about things as well.

What are your plans after high school?

I am going to Washington State (WSU) to study nursing. I have always wanted to go to school out of state and explore other places, so when I visited Washington State University and realized how much I loved the campus I knew I wanted to go there. Then I was offered a scholarship of $10,000 a year from the school, so going out of state became more affordable and seemed like a no-brainer.

Sir Xzavien Woods

He/him

Age: 18

How have you changed since freshman year? And how do you think poetry has affected you?  

I was interested in poetry for a while but was never motivated to write any until I was in (Dylan) Leeman’s class freshman year. I think why I decided to perform what I wrote was because of all the positivity of the work itself … I think just interacting with a lot of people over the years has generally made me more thoughtful. I think that poetry has made me a bit more confident in things that (I) don’t think I had confidence in.

What are your plans after high school?

I’m planning on going to PCC (Portland Community College) during the fall later this year.

Rachel Karplus

She/her

Age: 18

How do you think you have changed since freshman year?

Well, I think I’ve changed in a lot of ways. I’ve definitely gained a lot more confidence. I remember going into an audition for choir my freshman year and constantly apologizing, being really nervous. And I’ve learned to not apologize for myself unless I do something to hurt someone else.

What did you enjoy doing freshman year and how has that changed?

I’d say freshman year, I was really struggling to find where I fit into Grant. I was trying to do stagecraft. I’ve always known that theater and music is my passion, and that’s all I want to do with my life … I remember trying to … find a practical career and then it just got to a point where I can’t imagine doing anything else and choir specifically has really become like such an instrumental part of my life and especially now being the oldest in choir … I was vice president last year so I really have a maternal role in the choir … I bring Advil for people, and I will always have a first aid kit, and just really growing into that leadership role and finding where I fit in.

What are your plans after high school?

I’m not entirely sure, but I’m going to hopefully get a job somewhere and then take acting classes around Portland and audition for some productions … I’m at the point in my life where I can’t imagine doing anything else. So I’m going to pursue that.

Tyler Hutson-Lytle

She/her

Age: 18

How have you changed since freshman year?

I used to be so insecure and worried about things as a freshman and now I … don’t put as much effort into thinking about what other people are thinking about me. My confidence has grown and just my ability to talk to people has opened up. So I’m not as shy, and just the emotional presentation of myself (has changed). People have told me I’m really intimidating, which I can’t see that just because I’m used to myself, but I can kind of get that from a different perspective.

What do you think caused you to gain that confidence?

I think meeting people who help me bring out my more open, true self, because freshman year I was friends with people who I grew up with. I was so used to this type of person (and had been) around them my whole life. Then, meeting new people has just really opened up newer ideas and new experiences that have really just opened up this whole new side of myself, different perspective on seeing things.

What are your plans after high school?

(I’m going to) go to the University of Oregon to study psychology and sociology to hopefully become a criminal psychologist.

Samuel Hollin

He/him

Age: 17

How have you changed since freshman year?

Well for physical things, like style and stuff like that, I think I’ve changed a lot. I dress more like, instead of just whatever I have, I put more thought into what I want to wear and how I’m going to look when I step out of the house. I do my hair in the morning, when I didn’t do that freshman year. But for mental (changes), just the way I think going off of four years ago to now, it’s just really changed, and I can just tell it’s really true when people say your brain matures over time … And I’m just kind of excited for another four years and just looking back to now, because a lot has changed in the last four years of high school.

What do you think led you to change?

I think just being around and making a friend group in high school. Because who you hang around really determines who you’re going to start acting like, and almost trying to be, if you just hang with a certain group throughout the entire four years. Definitely who I hung around and the teachers I had, because a lot of the teachers I had were always giving me advice and talking to me about things. Some relationships with teachers were better than others so you know, you learn more about people, they learn more about you. It’s just pretty much all the same thing, depends on who you surround yourself by.

Anything more you want to say about what influenced your style?

I would say freshman year, I would really go to school in some basketball shoes and a pair of baggy jeans, and just a normal random t-shirt … I was really, really into music because I was trying to become an audio engineer. So, you see the style that the big producers and artists are wearing and as you dive deeper into that lifestyle you kind of see things that you like. So, I would say as I got older, realizing what works better on me, and what looks good fashion-wise, picking choices through that is really what helped and what brought my style into what it is today.

What are your plans after high school?

I’m going to Lane Community College in Eugene. I’m going to be majoring in business and minoring in design to pursue a career in interior design.