Each year, Metro students participate in Career Day to learn from professionals about their path to their chosen career. Metro alumni are encouraged to participate as presenters and share their post high school experience with current middle or high school students.

This year's Career Day is scheduled for February 8, 2023. Presenters are wanted for two time frames: 8:15-9:45am OR 10:00-11:30am. If you would like to volunteer, please review the Career Day Invitation letter for details.

Members of all graduating classes are invited to join us for the first ever Metro Alumni Tailgate Party during Ohio State's Homecoming Weekend - Friday, September 30 at 5pm at Metro (1929 Kenny Road)

Catch up with old classmates and enjoy tailgate food! If you have contact with other alumni, invite them to come!

Let us know if you'll attend: Alumni Tailgate RSVP

In an effort to remain connected to past graduates and tap into their expertise, a Metro Alumni Association was created in the spring of 2022. Many ideas have been developed during the initial stages, from the first Metro Alumni Tailgate during OSU's 2022 homecoming weekend to monthly alumni stories posted on the school and alumni website. Signs of a highly effective and thriving STEM community are exciting to watch!

Mr. Anthony Alston, Director of External Affairs, is sitting down with Metro graduates to hear them recount their high school experiences and how Metro influenced their college and career path. We hope you'll take time to read the interviews and find out what they've been up to since their days at Metro.

Q: Tell me a little about yourself and your current work.

Micah: I’m a data scientist for a company called Morning Consult, based out of Chicago. We do market research and polling. I've been here for about three years. Before that, I worked in the education field with a charter school network in Wisconsin. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison to complete my Ph.D. in Political Science.

Q: Did you always know this is what you wanted to do? If not, when did you decide?

Micah: I sort of took a little bit of a journey. In undergrad, I majored in political science and economics and then went to graduate school to be an academic in political science.  I realized I was more interested in math and statistical questions and things like that, so I made a pivot after graduate school to start doing more statistical and data analysis. So a bit of a winding path, but still built on the foundation of the STEM education I received at Metro.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories from high school?

Micah: There were two different kinds of experiences: the first two years (focused on high school credits) and then the second two years being able to take classes at OSU. Those first two years, everyone was figuring it out together. I believe there were only six teachers, plus Mrs. Raymond (founding principal) and Mrs. Fries (business manager). There was a lot of experiential learning; I remember taking lots of field trips. The people at OSU were so excited to have us around that we got to do a lot of cool stuff. I remember taking a tour of an abandoned coal mine with Dr. Bruening for an environmental studies class and we also toured a landfill. After the Gateway process when people started taking classes at OSU, it was like the wild west. We were allowed to take a lot of general education courses to get that real campus experience while still being tied to Metro. It was great! 

Q: Do you remember the Metro Habits? Do you ever think about them today?

Micah: They definitely hammered those home! The one I appreciate to this day is critical thinking. In my previous role in political science and now currently doing data science, I have had to do a lot of problem-solving about things put in front of me to think about the why and how. Critical thinking serves me really well. The other habit was the focus on collaboration. Again, it was really hammered home. Not only did I work collaboratively with my classmates, but with the teachers as well. There was a lot of opportunity for horizontal communication as well as up-down communication. So collaboration is something I’ve carried with me too. 

Q: Did you develop friendships with people at Metro that you might not have otherwise connected with? Are those ongoing? 

Micah: Yes, absolutely. We had students from within Columbus City Schools, which can span from Briggs to Whetstone, but also had representation from the greater county area. I met folks from Grove City and Canal Winchester and we became good friends. I still talk to some of those guys.

Q: What was that experience (OSU)  like?

Micah: I’m so old I can remember that OSU was still on quarters back then. That first quarter I took a math class. I remembered coming into class being very prepared. There were like ten (Metro students), so it was a great network of people to study with. Being in a cohort was very helpful. I don’t know if Misty Kemp is still there, but she tried to make sure we were all in the same classes at OSU so we would have support. So we felt very prepared going from Metro to OSU. I took a couple of classes during my junior year and kept going through to my senior year, so it became much easier. 

Q: What is the most important thing you learned in high school?

Micah: Being a part of that first class, or I’m sure even the first two or three, we really were out there! So it taught me the value of being very flexible. In terms of a personal situation, it took me out of my comfort zone.  

Q: What advice would you give to students who may want to follow in your footsteps?

Micah: If they want to be a data scientist in particular, I think just being an active learner will help. Be curious and really hone your critical thinking skills.

Q: Please tell me a little about yourself and what you do now.

Lupe: I went to San Diego State for my master's. I moved to Nevada to be part of the Teach For America project with AmeriCorps and then moved back to Ohio because this is where my future husband was going to be working. I am now married with a son who is almost two and we have one on the way. I am also a student at Texas Tech studying Educational Policy and Leadership working on my Ph.D.

Q: Did you always know this (current job) is what you wanted to do? If not, when did you decide?

Lupe: No. It’s far from what I wanted to become. It was about halfway through my master's degree when I realized I wanted to teach. And then I decided to do the Nevada Teacher Corps with AmeriCorps. I loved it, but now I am on a slightly different track to teach at the college level and work on publications. So, teaching was not in my plans. I actually wanted to minor in medicine and go to medical school, but I ended up in a Biology class at OSU and I was miserable. Don’t get me wrong, I did fine at OSU, but I realized that med school wasn’t for me. I finished undergrad and got my masters in Liberal Arts & Sciences so I could explore topics that were more of interest to me. That’s when I realized that education is what I wanted to do. 

Q: Do you remember the Metro Habits? Do you ever think about them today?

Lupe: Oh wow, I actually glanced at them a couple of months ago for something I was doing for my schooling. Let’s see, engaged learner, collaborator, inquiry…communicator! 

Q: When you attended Metro, it was a new program. What are some of your favorite memories?

Lupe: I don’t think it was my favorite memory at the time, but I tell my husband about it now. It was the trash dig that we did for a project called “Garbology.” I say that because, when else in your lifetime are you going to go dig through trash and learn about recycling, composting and what not? The other memory was with Dr. Bruening doing CAD. I remember this because I'm married to an engineer now!

The trips we took were also very memorable. We went to the Florida Keys and learned about the ecosystems. We went to Stone Lab. Those experiences helped to inform my selection of Ed. Policy & Leadership. My research focuses a lot on low income minority students, mostly Spanish speaking because I speak Spanish. I feel like a lot of those experiences at Metro were things that my friends who went to Dublin, Upper Arlington and Bexley could afford to do, but I would not have been able to afford them. 

Q: Did you develop friendships with people at Metro that you might not have otherwise connected with? Are those ongoing?

Lupe: I have several friends that I still keep in touch with that I 100% would not have met if it had not been for Metro. They lived in many different areas that I did not have access to then.

Q: Did you participate in a pathway like Bodies or Growth? What was that experience like?

Lupe: I did a learning center at Franklin Park Conservatory. It focused on plants and the environment, and I did an internship there teaching little ones. I probably should have realized then that I wanted to teach! While at Franklin Park, we loved doing the tours for younger age groups and learning about the science of the park. It’s similar to what I do now in that the context is educational but the background is science-based. We do a lot of statistical analysis while preparing to present for IRBs.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned in high school?

Lupe: Well let’s see, critical thinking, or thinking independently and a strong work ethic are the top two. This is especially true when I think about being in school now. 

Q: In what ways did Metro help to prepare you for what you are doing now?

Lupe: Doing well at Metro helped remove the burden of not knowing if I could afford to stay in college for four years. My mother was a single parent and we lived in low income housing, so I knew I needed to succeed here because I wasn’t going to be able to afford college. Metro helped me apply for scholarships and I was awarded several. Once I got to college, I realized that I could be there for four years. I could slow down and enjoy the process. When I got my masters degree, I had additional fellowships, and now with my Ph.D, I received other scholarships and fellowships and was allowed to pay instate fees. That again has afforded me options so I don’t have to feel like I need to rush. Metro taught me how to apply for scholarships, and that has been a great benefit to me. 

Q: What advice would you give to students at Metro who may want to follow in your footsteps?

Lupe: I feel like mastering the Metro habits sets you apart when you take courses at OSU. I remember being in my junior year and I was in a writing course. I was asked by a professor to meet after class. My first thought was, “oh my goodness my paper is horrible,” but the professor said it was one of the best. He also asked why I had  a mark beside my name on his roster. I had to tell him it was because I was a high school student. Imagine his shock!                      

So mastering the habits really sets you apart, not just for basic classes but for further ahead in life. If you master them, then it’s a habit and you don’t have to think about it. I  would also say, take advantage of the opportunities that are offered. Just explore whatever interests you; this may be one of the only times in your life where you can explore and not have so many worries. Don’t rush! If you have goals and are making adequate progress to reach them, don’t be in a hurry!                                                                                     

Q: Did you always know this (being an attorney) is what you wanted to do?

Morgan: Not so precisely, but having a really strong background and foundation in science really shaped my interest in this work. For a long time, I was interested in issues that sat at the intersection of government and foreign policy as well as legal advocacy, but that all came after my initial interest in science and climate issues. Not long after my time at Metro and OSU, it became clear to me the path that I wanted to take. 

Q: Do you remember the Metro Habits? Do you ever think of them now?

Morgan: Yes, well it’s been a while since I’ve been asked that! I think I remember being inquiring, collaborating, and critical thinking, and while I might not be able to spell them all out, I know the spirit of the habits is something I carry with me in my life. The workplaces and experiences where I have felt most effective and have been most exciting for me - I think they’ve been congruent with those values. Also, I think they provide a good framework for you to think about your life and the impact you want to have in the world. 

Q: Please share one of your favorite memories from your time at Metro. 

Morgan: I remember having really interesting and diverse visitors. They would come and want to talk with you. We had folks from around the world who wanted to open schools with a similar approach. It was so exciting for me. I also remember giving tours. That was something I really enjoyed, as well as being given the opportunity to regularly reflect on the value of this approach and the experience. I look back at that time really fondly. I also remember that many of my peers were really self-driven and intrinsically motivated. It was so refreshing to me and it made me want to be the best, most creative, and most caring version of myself. I was really grateful to go to school with those folks and to now see what some of them are doing. 

Q: Did you participate in a Pathway (Early College Experience)? 

Morgan: I actually think there was an option for me to do something different. I opted to do the John Glenn College of Public Affairs program for HS seniors (at Ohio State). I took classes at OSU my junior year and interned at the Ohio State House my senior year. I love that Metro allowed me to do something that was a really cool, customized fit that allowed me to tap into my best STEM skillset and nurture a passion of mine, and I can say without a doubt that I probably wouldn’t be walking the path I am on without that experience.

Q: What advice would you give to students who may want to pursue a similar career?

Morgan: My advice to a student would be to dream big, but plan a bit. I think it is totally possible and achievable for anybody to walk on a path that they want, particularly a path of service. And I think it is a great mindset to operate on the limit of “if I can plan it, visualize it, and try it, I can do it.” Also, don’t be afraid to ask people questions about the things you are interested in.