By: Caroline Utz

As seniors settle into their final year of high school, overwhelming panic may begin. Uncertain future plans, endless college applications, standardized testing, and admissions essays can all add up to one stressful year. In times like these, it is always nice to know that someone who once roamed these halls has shared your struggle and came out on top.

Sports sensation

Joe Glover, 2008 Indiana University Southeast graduate and current IUS athletic director, credits a lot of his success to NAHS counselor Mrs. Laura McGuirk.

“Mrs. McGuirk is probably one of the sweetest people I have ever had the opportunity to meet,” Glover said. “As a first generation college student, who was scared and did not know anything about the [college] process, Mrs. McGuirk mentored and guided me through the process. I will never be able to thank her enough for what she has done for me.”

A 2004 graduate of NAHS, Glover was heavily involved in WNAS Radio/TV and athletics. It was during high school that he discovered that his passion for sports could evolve into a long-term career.

“No matter what the struggles, stresses, or challenges in my life, athletics has always been there to help see me through the difficult times,” Glover said. “During my time working at WNAS, I realized that many of the things I had been doing in the Radio/TV program were actually the same things that sports information directors did at colleges and universities around the country.”

As an athletic director, Glover’s schedule is constantly changing. Whether he’s mentoring student-athletes or meeting with coaches, Glover stays busy with all of the challenges his career entails. Helping student-athletes “grow academically and athletically while persisting to graduation” is his main objective.

Glover attributes a lot of his accomplishments to being goal-oriented, respectful, and having good communication skills.

“I have always tried to know where I want to be,” Glover said. “I have also always tried to treat others with respect. One of the things I learned from Mr. Kelly was to always treat others with respect even if you disagree with them. Learning to communicate effectively is also very important in high school, college, and your career. Those who focus on improving their ability to communicate effectively will find that it will pay off tremendously throughout their life.”

Financial forte

A 2006 graduate of NAHS, Ashley Heishman is now a service manager for the national consumer goods firm of Procter & Gamble. Her career in finance allows her to make essential decisions for the company regarding sales and profitability.

“As a finance person, I help figure out if it will be profitable for a company to spend money on creating a brand new product or if running the Old Spice commercial during the Super Bowl will help increase sales,” Heishman said.

A 2010 graduate of Indiana University, Heishman understands the stress of choosing a college. Like most other high school seniors, choosing a place to spend the next four years was a difficult decision. During her college search, however, Heishman realized that a good college experience may be found at any university.

“Where you go is going to be as great as you make it,” Heishman said. “They all have amazing opportunities and such fun things going on. My decision came down to what area I thought I wanted to study and the best place for that [major], and where I had the most financial help with scholarships.”

Heishman attributes a solid work ethic and a positive attitude to her success.

“High school isn’t easy, college isn’t easy, and a career isn’t easy, but they can all be really fun if you have the right attitude and work hard to get the most out of them,” Heishman said.

Collegiate champ

While Ishita Jain, 2009 graduate of NAHS, is only a junior at University of Louisville, she is still on the early path to success. Named a James Graham Brown Fellows Scholar, Jain received full tuition, room and board to U of L. As a part of the program, Jain is able to complete an independent study project anywhere around the world. Having traveled to London and Singapore for biomechanics conferences, Jain is also set to take the comparative health systems course in England and Ireland this year.

Jain’s time at NAHS helped prepare her for college by offering demanding classes and a diverse student body.

“Being a large school, NAHS was able to offer me a wide range of challenging courses that ended up being invaluable-especially during my first year of college,” Jain said. “The teachers were very intelligent, caring, and gifted in their teaching abilities, and I enjoyed spending time at school as a result. I was also able to learn so much from the eclectic group of students that attended NAHS. I learned how to build relationships and interact with those that came from a different backgrounds than mine, and I got some lifelong friendships out of it.”

Jain credits many inspirational teachers, including Mr. Brigg Banet (physics), Mr. Clark Mumaw (chemistry), and Ms. Amy Lorch (calculus) in preparing her well for college. Their higher level classes were “invaluable” during Jain’s freshman year of college as a bioengineering major.

Senior year of high school is notoriously nerve-wracking, and it was no different for Jain. By utilizing organization, however, she was able to manage the stress.

“Take it day by day,” Jain said. “Write everything down in a planner, and check your planner religiously. It is going to be impossible to completely avoid the stress, but organization is one of the major keys to sanity during this crazy time.”

Jain shows no signs of slowing down her success rate. After she graduates from U of L’s Speed School of Engineering as a bioengineering major, she plans on becoming a doctor through a dual MD/MBA program.

“Doing well is all relative,” Jain said. “There are so many people around me doing great things that I can attribute a good amount of the success that I’ve experienced to their help and support. I think that working hard and building relationships with those who want to see me succeed, along with a little bit of dumb luck, has made all of the difference.”