Alumna Mckayla Hojnacki came to Ocean Lakes on Oct. 27 to speak to AVID ninth and eleventh graders about her experience in high school and college.

After graduating from Ocean Lakes in 2012, she attended Radford for two years, then transferred to James Madison University for a “bigger” college experience. She graduated with a B.S. in psychology and plans on starting her masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling next fall. She says that because of the hardships she faced growing up, she wants to become a therapist.

Hojnacki emphasised the importance of goal setting, rigorous study habits, and other skills to become a successful college student.

“I think it’s important for the kids to hear a variety of perspectives on the college journey and understand the importance of setting goals, following through, persevering, and overcoming challenges,” said AVID teacher Michelle McAfee.