A West40 Safe School student is already leaving her mark as an artist with her creations on display for hundreds of people to see at a statewide conference.
Aubrey is an 8th grader who recently took part in a West40 internship project, in which she helped design business cards, banners, posters and a tablecloth for this week’s ICEARY (Illinois Coalition for Educating At-Risk Youth) Conference. The event gathers educators, counselors, and advocates from across the state to exchange ideas and strengthen programs designed for at-risk students.
This year, thanks in part to Aubrey’s vision, the conference has a fresh, new look.
“I was excited, because then I would be able to show a lot of people my work and just put my ideas out there,” Aubrey said. “I get to have everybody see what I get to do, and it’s another way for me to just show how good I am at something.”
Aubrey said she enjoys using art as a means of expression. She wanted to make sure her designs for the ICEARY Conference reflected both sophistication and fun.
“I took their colors and I made these cool, unique shapes. And my thoughts behind it were like stepping stones, because when you come here, you take more and more steps to bettering yourself,” she explained.
West40’s Principal Champion of Experiences, Heidi Bellm, said the designs have introduced a new look that is more representative of how students see student support programs. This new look sparks new hope for ICEARY members in how they continue to support students.
“Walking alongside our kids to help them unearth their strengths and talents and aligning it to their values is our goal in student internships here at West40,” said Bellm. “We are grateful for our partners, such as ICEARY, in helping our students discover their WHO through the internship projects.”
Aubrey said one of the big takeaways from her internship was making new connections and she believes that internships like hers should be available to students across Illinois.
“I was a person that struggled a lot throughout my life, and it definitely let me talk to new people because I’m definitely a lot more of a shyer person,” Aubrey said. “So just being able to meet new people, and again, get to express myself in different, small ways—it definitely helped, and I think it could also help a lot of other kids.”
So what is next for Aubrey?
She said she is interested in getting a summer job where she can further showcase her artistic skills and she hopes to continue pursuing art and writing in high school.
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