FEATURE
HOLLY HUNTER '26 joined the Business and Entrepreneurship cohort early in high school. She shadowed financial advisors, interviewed leaders at nonprofit ballet companies and helped lead Gilmour's Investment Club. Those experiences proved worthwhile, even though they ultimately pointed her somewhere else. After shadowing the CEO of a home healthcare agency, she realized she didn’t want to spend her days reviewing spreadsheets and paperwork. “I realized I would much rather be the person who actually provides healthcare or designs medical devices,” Holly says.
students build a portfolio around a passion they want to continue developing. Either way, they graduate with a much better understanding of their interests and what they want to explore next, having learned something meaningful before they ever step onto a college campus.” We caught up with five recent VECTOR graduates, one from each area of focus, to hear how their experiences shaped their interests and what they're taking with them as they move on from Gilmour. This fall, they headed to The Ohio State University, Duquesne University, Washington and Lee University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Kenyon College. While they're pursuing different majors and interests, each arrives with something in common: a collection of experiences that have shaped the way they'll approach what's ahead. RYAN PANZICA '26 never questioned his interest in engineering. VECTOR simply gave him more ways to pursue it. He spent a day shadowing an engineer at NASA, rebuilt a motorcycle in Gilmour's MotoGo class and learned CAD software well enough to design an original go-kart for his senior capstone. Every experience added another layer of confidence. “ It reinforced my decision to major in mechanical engineering," Ryan says. "VECTOR taught me that I like design, and my skills are improving with every project I do.”
says. “VECTOR helped me refine and discover my interests.” Her capstone project reflected that evolution. After raising funds from local businesses and donors, Natalie renovated a neglected sand volleyball court, creating a community gathering place. The project allowed her to combine her passion for volleyball with meaningful service that will continue to benefit others while also helping her develop strong communication and leadership skills. The Commons Park Board was so impressed with George’s work that they invited her to continue to attend their meetings after her work building the court was complete. George was grateful for the opportunity to gain exposure to how organizations function as she hopes to one day start her own nonprofit.
This fall, she begins studying biomedical engineering at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, confident in that decision because VECTOR gave her the opportunity to explore another path first. For EVAN MANSOUR '26 , VECTOR became less about choosing a profession than feeding a curiosity that keeps growing. Over four years she immersed herself in nearly every art course Gilmour offers, from ceramics, painting and photography to textiles, jewelry making and digital art. VECTOR also pushed her to look beyond the classroom for new ways to create. At the Cleveland Institute of Art, she learned to work with hot glass, and explored jewelry and metals, including enameling and cloisonné. On campus, she put another set of skills to work, designing and building a set piece for the spring musical. Her senior capstone brought years of art experimentation together as she wrote and illustrated Max’s Castle in the Woods , a children’s book she also bound by hand. She wanted readers to experience art rather than simply look at it, and the finished product was as much a work of art as it was a story. Along the way, the artists she met helped broaden her perspective on the future. “It made me realize that I don't need to know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Evan says. “Most everyone changes the direction they go in many times." That openness to possibility is something she'll carry with her this fall to
Now, George is at Duquesne University, where she's continuing to pursue her interests in law, leadership and public service.
For PIPER WICK '26 , the biggest surprise wasn't finding a passion. It was discovering where that passion actually belonged. She entered Gilmour convinced medicine was her future. Then came environmental science courses, volunteer work in Gilmour’s Giving Garden and a summer course at The Island School in Eleuthera, where she studied sustainable systems, marine ecology, and tourism and development while living in a community built around conservation. “VECTOR confirmed my interest in science but helped me discover the environmental science direction rather than strictly medical,” she says.
This fall, he is taking that passion to The Ohio State University, where he is studying mechanical engineering.
NATALIE GEORGE '26 had a different experience. She arrived with several interests competing for her attention, including psychology, public service and law. Rather than forcing a choice, VECTOR gave her room to explore all of them. She shadowed a financial planner and a real estate attorney, organized community service projects and eventually found herself drawn toward nonprofit leadership and the legal profession. “My coursework was definitely a crucial part of my transformation through VECTOR,” Natalie
That realization changed her college plans. This fall, she is bringing that passion to Washington & Lee
Wel
University, where she is studying biology and economics with an emphasis on sustainability. Not every lesson comes from confirming a dream. Sometimes the most valuable discovery is realizing a career isn't the right fit.
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