Meet LPS Focus Program Senior: Hannah, Early College and Career STEM

The mission of Lincoln Public Schools is to prepare ALL students for successful careers, lifelong learning and civic engagement.

High school graduation is a culmination of our scholars' and educators' hard work toward this significant milestone. 

The LPS Focus Programs core values of exploration, education, engagement and empowerment are beliefs rooted in the overall LPS mission and the school district’s commitment to high school graduation. 

Read how Early College and Career STEM senior Hannah used LPS Focus Programs to Launch at LPS in this Q&A. 

Name: Hannah

Grade: 12

Home High School: Northeast 

Focus Program: Early College and Career STEM at Northeast (FEWSS) 

 

Why did you choose the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program?

I've always wanted to participate in a Future Farmers of America (FFA) and agricultural program and this is the closest I could get.

 

How did the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program change your high school experience?

It opened my eyes to see that there are more career opportunities than farming and ranching in the world of agriculture.

 

What is the greatest lesson you learned from the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program? Why?

Food, Energy, Water and Societal Systems (FEWSS) are applicable to every aspect of our lives. During the FEWSS experience class, we explored the different ways food, energy, water and societal systems have affected our world in the past and how they can help us lessen the consequences of climate change in the future.

 

How did the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program help you reach your graduation goals?

This focus program has helped me to know what sectors of the agriculture industry sound most appealing to me and give me a general understanding of what careers in those fields are better suited to me.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I plan to get a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education at Concordia University in Nebraska.

How did the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program help prepare you for those post-graduation plans? 

Being a part of the Early College and Career (FEWSS) Program prepared me for post-graduation by providing me with opportunities through other clubs that I wouldn't have gotten to experience otherwise.

 

How did the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program help prepare you for the future?

The Early College and Career Program prepared me for the future through networking. Without this program, I wouldn't know half of the people that I do at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln or Extension Centers across the state. Through activities sponsored by the program, I met lots of people that regular high schoolers don't get to meet that often. One of them was U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

 

What would your advice be to younger students considering joining your focus program? Why?

Don’t be afraid to try new things. There are always lessons lying behind every experience.

 

What are you most thankful about this experience? Why?

The thing I'm most thankful for is Bailey Feit (program coordinator). She organized many opportunities for me to make sure I picked the college that was right for me, even if it wasn't UNL, and showed me aspects of agriculture that I hadn't thought possible.

Congratulations, Hannah! We wish you the best in your future endeavors. We are thankful our educators could help you Launch at LPS!

Choose your passion. Choose your community. Choose your future with LPS Focus Programs. 

Learn more about the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program at Northeast by visiting its website at  https://eccsp.lps.org/ or stop by our website home.lps.org/focus to get more information about all our focus programs.

Also, check out our graduation page at https://home.lps.org/graduation/ to get the details on celebrating your favorite high school grad.

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