## What Did You Do Your Senior Year in High School?

> Did You . . .

. . . Research the roots of Black English on a graduate school level? Vinnie Bagwell, WISE ’75, did. Today, Vinnie is a designer and sculptor. Her public sculptures of Ella Fitzgerald and Frederick Douglass were commissioned after nationwide competitions. She also co-founded Art on Main Street/Yonkers, Inc. Read more..
. . . Intern with a legendary columnist at The New York Times? Andrew Ross Sorkin, WISE ’95, did. Today, Andrew is an award winning columnist and reporter for The New York Times, founder and editor of DealBook, and author of Too Big to Fail (Penguin Group, 2009). Read more..
. . . Explore the physics and economics of skateboarding? Jirkita Muhammadu, WISE ’08, did. Today, Jirkita is a student at Tuskegee University in Alabama, focusing on psychology and writing. Read more..
. . . Follow your passion to become a firefighter? Gina Hudson, WISE ’96, did. Today, Gina is a firefighter/paramedic with Miramar Fire Rescue in Florida. Read more..
. . . “Practice” meteorology at a local airport for a weather and aviation company? Ralph Vasami, WISE ’78, did. Today, Ralph is the CEO of the very same company, Universal Weather & Aviation, Inc., now based in Houston, Texas, with 37 locations in over 20 countries. Read more..

> With WISE, your high school can offer all of the above... and more!

#### Welcome to WISE

For over 30 years, WISE seniors have been creating real-world work experiences (WISE projects), exploring and igniting their passions outside the traditional classroom. Over 30,000 WISE graduates have learned to collaborate and to work independently, developing organizational, research, writing, presentation and public speaking skills as they kick-start a lifetime of personal growth.

WISE programs offer a unique opportunity for schools to partner with local agencies and businesses to create a comprehensive learning experience tailored to the specific needs of their communities. WISE also offers communities the opportunity to tap the diverse talents and energy of local students of all ability levels.

The WISE program is comprised of a network of teachers, mentors, parents and graduates, and challenges students at over 60 high schools across America to craft a productive answer to the question, “What did you do your senior year in high school?”

WISE Services (WISE Individualized Senior Experience, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization established in 1991 to assist schools in developing WISE programs tailored to their own local needs.

Coordinators' Corner

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