Nakhiya Calhoun Class of 2020

Interview by Aneara Burns. Photo by Satila Ali.

Life after high school may come with adversities and challenges, and college is no exception. Everyone has their own path in life and it doesn’t have to always be a traditional one. Nakhiya Calhoun knows all about that. I had the chance to talk to her about her college experience, the challenges she faced and what her next moves are. 

Aneara: First of all, are you currently attending a college or university?  

Nakhiya: No, I only attended for one year. 

 Aneara: What was college like for you? Why didn't it work out? 

Nakhiya: I feel like college didn't work out for me because I had a hard time adjusting to online. With COVID and everything, just trying to adjust, I wasn't really doing anything in college besides sitting in my room all day, trying to make myself get up for class, just to be on a computer. I wasn’t able to have the full resources of college, like office hours, just due to the difficulties that COVID caused. 

Aneara: What's your plan now?  

Nakhiya: My plan now is to go back to school. I recently just applied to ASU Local, so I'm trying to get reconnected with Ms. Brett and an ASU advisor,  just to try to get myself back to where I used to be.

Aneara: Since you're thinking about going back to school, what are you considering majoring in?  

Nakhiya: I want to major in computer science.

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

Nakhiya: I feel like certain teachers did. I don't believe the school as a whole did, but there were a few teachers who encouraged me and pushed me to actually want to go to college and want to give it a try. 

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

 Nakhiya: One lesson that I learned from Collegiate was something that the students themselves actually helped me learn. I realized that everybody doesn't come from the same place.  Everybody's not like you, and you have to really expand your mindset and have a more open perspective. You have to meet new people, network, and travel the world. There is way more out there than you think. 

Aneara: What advice would you give to the Class of 2024?  

Nakhiya: I would say, if you feel that school is not for you, still try it. And always try to have a backup plan. However, if your mental health Is deteriorating, choose yourself first, and everything else will follow. 

Alumni Editor Aneara Burns is a junior at Arizona State University and a 2020 graduate of Friendship Collegiate Academy.