Sr. Sarah Lewin has always been a quiet person. Struggling to find a place to fit in, Lewin finds that place at the Careerline Tech Center. Starting in her senior year, Lewin was accepted into the Culinary Arts program. Lewin has always been a shy, quiet student, but after her first semester of CTC she’s like a new person. She got her first job, she speaks up in class and contributes to conversations more than ever. This isn’t the same Sarah Lewin WO knew a year ago.
“My confidence level has improved greatly since I started at CTC, and my communication skills have grown. The class requires you to communicate with people a lot, and that’s something I’ve never really been good at. When we’re working on projects together you are expected to be able to contribute to the conversation. I am now able to talk to people I barely know a lot easier than I used to. Before I attended CTC, talking to people I didn’t know was a challenge. I was scared I was going to say the wrong thing. Now I have more confidence in talking to people. It comes off more naturally now,” Lewin said.
Friends, family, and teachers of Lewin have noticed these changes as well. “It’s taught her to be more responsible and helped her see what the working world is all about. She’s been successful in her part time job because of tech,” her mother, Elizabeth Lewin said.
Instructor Jeremy Heavilin recalls having Lewin in class. “Sarah was quiet, but a great student. I wish I had a class of 30 Sarah’s,” Heavilin said.
Lewin has been one of my best friends since early elementary school. I have seen many changes in Lewin since she started at CTC. When I first met Lewin, I remember she could barely look me in the eye. She was this little ball of nerves. However, fast forward to our senior year of high school, she’s more confident than ever. I am so proud of her and all of her personal accomplishments. She started working at KFC and become a new person because of her experience at the Careerline Tech Center. I remember the day before her interview she was texting me about how nervous she was. She told me she was considering not going in for the interview. The Lewin I know now would not back out on something like that.
Instructor Ann Kirkendall has Lewin in class. “She has a quiet confidence. Her intelligence and creative ideas show through her work, not through discussion. If I were a new teacher, I might have thought that her quiet nature meant she had nothing to say. That is certainly not the case. I am so glad she has found a career path that she is excited about and that she is able to explore hands-on at the Tech Center,” Kirkendall said.
As Kirkendall said, much of Lewin’s voice comes through her creations. The Culinary Arts program is the perfect place for Lewin. If it weren’t for the Careerline Tech Center, Lewin would not be exhibiting the confidence she does today.
