Welcome to Indian Hill Master Class! This school year, we are using this annual series as a celebration to highlight the exceptional people who curate a feeling of HOME for our students, our families, and each other. This month, Interim Assistant Superintendent Whitney Buell shines the spotlight on College & Career Counselor Ester Hall, who was recently recognized as the YMCA Volunteer of the Year for Youth Development for her work the past 10 years with the Black and Latino Teen Achievers Program.
Whitney Buell (WB): What motivated you to begin working in the college and career space?
Ester Hall (EH): My path was not a straight one but had many other experiences that brought me here. I have always worked with the youth since my teenage years through sports camps and summer camps. I love working with youth and that passion brought me to working as an assistant women's basketball coach for the University of Cincinnati in a recruiting position. Through recruiting I encountered student-athletes in high school who I could not pursue or offer scholarships to because they had not fulfilled high school requirements in order to receive athletic scholarships. This was very frustrating, and I was limited in what I could do in that position. I decided that I could work better with youth by helping to prepare them while they are in high school and push them into college with the knowledge along the way, instead of trying to pull them into college unprepared. I have found a career that fulfills me knowing that I am a small stop of their path to their postsecondary outcomes. Wherever it leads them, I am satisfied to know that I played a role along their path.
WB: What does the college and career transition look like for our Indian Hill High School Braves?
EH: Indian Hill graduates consistently transition to college at about a 90 percent rate each year. It is encouraging to see students who do not transition directly to college have followed paths to employment and joining the military. However, we have seen a slow increase in students who are choosing to take a gap year to work, travel, or volunteer before making their transition to college. As we follow our alumni, we see that they mostly start and finish at the same college which supports the process we have of choosing a school that is the right fit for you. Researching colleges, and having students present their best and genuine selves to the admissions office has yielded great acceptances every year with 72 percent of applications being accepted. We also love that our graduates are always willing and ready to support IHHS students as they apply to different colleges by sharing their experiences with students and parents whenever they are called upon.
WB: What is the best advice you could offer for our parents of senior students, or even juniors as they make this transition?
EH: You have options after high school, and Indian Hill is here to walk along that journey with you. As you prepare to transition to life after high school, use this time to create your own path. I believe you should do what fulfills you. Be your authentic, genuine, and unique self, and you will stand out just because of that. Get involved with things that make you feel fulfilled and take time to find ways to leave things better than you found them. Take advantage of all of the opportunities, experiences, and challenges that are available to you. Last but not least, challenge yourself to make more friends. When you leave high school, you may not have your current social circle as support, so learn how to put yourself out there and engage with all types of people and develop your social and support system.
WB: Is there anything else you would like to add?
EH: I am thankful that every day I am able to engage with students who bring different challenges that we can try and solve together. From looking at their big curious eyes during their "Bridges" to seeing them walk across the field to get their diploma, I feel blessed to have been a part of the journey through high school and the transition moving forward. Knowing that my touch to them just multiplies as they touch others and so on and so on gives me longevity. Working with students is the brightest part of each of my days at work!