Korey Carter Class of 2016

Interview by Aneara Burns. Photo by Flonora Merritt.

Collegiate encourages all of its students to go to, and through, college, no matter how hard and challenging it may be. We are always encouraging students to get that diploma because they can! I had the pleasure of talking to recent college graduate Korey Cater, who did just that. We talked about his time at Collegiate, his college experience, and his career.

Aneara: What school did you graduate from and what was your major?

Korey: I graduated from the University of the District of Columbia and mechanical engineering was my major.

Aneara: What was your college experience like?

Korey: My college experience was challenging. I initially started at George Washington University in 2016 majoring in mechanical engineering, but it didn’t last long. I was kicked out because I was not meeting academic standards. After a semester off I enrolled in the University of the District of Columbia as a mechanical engineer major, and this time I graduated. Throughout my college journey, I worked to provide for myself as well as pay tuition. It was a hard road but I made it!

Aneara: And what struggles did you face in college? 

Korey: Specifically for me, I had to work and put myself through school by paying for school. It was one of the biggest challenges, maintaining enough working hours to live and pay for rent while also keeping my GPA above 3.0. 

Aneara: Do you feel as though Collegiate prepared you enough for college? 

Korey: In some ways yes, but in others no. If I had picked a major other than mechanical engineering I would have been prepared. However, because of the major I chose, I did not feel prepared. This is mainly due to me being in Early College Academy at Collegiate. If I was in the more STEM-focused academy, things would have been different. 

Aneara: Were you in any extracurricular activities at Collegiate? And did they shape you in any way?

Korey: While at Collegiate, I was a part of so many extracurriculars: football, robotics, FNN, Student Council, and more that I’ve just forgotten about over the years. They have all played a small part in shaping me into the man I am today. Robotics was by far the most influential, it helped me find my love for building mechanical and electrical systems.

Aneara: What is your career path looking like right now? 

Korey: I have an internship for the summer and then I'm trying to see if I can work my way into NASA full-time. Even though I'm working in the construction industry right now, I want to go back to aerospace because that was what I did for research all throughout college and it’s what I actually like to do.

Aneara: What is the one lesson that Collegiate taught you for life after high school? 

Korey: To study a lot more than I thought I would.

Aneara: What advice would you give to the Class of 2023? 

Korey: It's okay to fail a couple of classes, you'll be alright.

Aneara Burns is a sophomore at Arizona State University.