For Arlington Grand Prairie High School senior Carly Celestin, her three years at ILTexas have helped shape her career path into something she never expected: a hopeful double major in speech pathology and graphic design.

“It’s been a recent passion I've had,” she said of graphic design, a skillset she’s gained while becoming involved in activities on campus. As for speech pathology, Carly explains, “I want to teach others that it's okay, their voice needs to and can be heard.”

Carly is involved in principal-student advisory committee and the superintended advisory committee with ILTexas, where she provides direct feedback from AGPHS students to ILTexas leadership. In addition to those programs, she serves as one of two student ambassadors for her campus, while staying active in Spanish Honor Society as recruitment chair. She also participates in campus bible study.

Headed for Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts this fall, Carly earned almost $500,000 in scholarships to pursue her passions. The focus on leadership and discipline at ILTexas, Carly said, helped her get there.

Her advice to incoming freshmen, or other new students to ILTexas? “Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.” She urges students to push themselves and try new things, because, like her, they may find passions they never expected out of the new experiences.

Carly is thankful to her leadership teachers and counselors, who helped her focus her interests into career options while finding her place at ILTexas.