Q&A: Emily Redmond speeds up her college career
- Elisa Reamer
- Apr 4, 2021
- 3 min read
Emily Redmond, 21, 2018 Batavia High School graduate, 2019 Waubonsee Community College graduate and 2020 Western Illinois University graduate, has a bright future ahead of her. She is a Criminal Justice major who hopes to work at the Kane County Sheriff’s Office in St. Charles, Illinois.
Dreamereamer Blog: How were you able to graduate a year ahead than expected?
Redmond: “Well a lot of planning and effort went into graduating almost two years early. During our senior year of high school, I took dual enrollment classes the whole year to get me started at Waubonsee. I ended up graduating with 18 college credits. Then from then on, I just did 15 credits every summer. It was a lot, but it was worth it.”
Q: What does graduating a year early mean for you?
A: Graduating a year early means I know what I want to do, and nothing will stop me from getting it. I never thought I'd be able to do it in all honesty. It’s something I will always be proud of when life doesn't go as planned, I'll be able to look back and say, “I did this and not a lot of people can say that.”
Q: What are some challenges you had to face throughout college?
A: I have faced many challenges throughout college. One of them was I had to withdraw from a course at my university fall of 2019. I have never taken a W in a course before. To say it bruised my ego is a bit an understatement. I then had to retake the class Spring of 2020. I took 18 credits in one semester. It was the most challenging semester by far.
Q: What extracurriculars were you involved in through college? High school?
A: I was involved in many extracurricular activities throughout high school, but not so much in college. In high school, I did cross country and track. Cross country all four years and track my freshman and sophomore years. When I got to college, I had to cut those from my schedule in order to focus on the workload I had to complete.
Q: Were there any teachers that discouraged you?
A: I wouldn't say I had any professors that discouraged me, but they definitely made me think about choosing the career path I am heading down. They know what they are talking about and they just wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into.
Q: If you could go back and do something differently in your academic career, would you?
A: There are loads of things I wish I did differently in middle school and high school. Simply, I wish I tried harder. School was not my thing, I actually almost got held back in 8th grade. I wish I put more effort into school during those years, but I just did not care about it as I do now. But as I have learned over the last few years, you really can do anything you put your mind to.
Q: Any advice you would give to high school students choosing their college?
A: Choose the college that fits you, not the one that looks good. If going to a community college, or a junior college fits better for you, whether it be financially or academically, go for it. It's better to go somewhere that is right for you and save money rather than go somewhere else because it makes you “fit in” and lose money because it's too hard and you possibly fail a class.
Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your schooling?
A: COVID-19 did not really impact too much schooling for me thankfully! I was able to pass my classes in the spring. However, during my summer semester, I was almost not able to do my internship that is required for me to graduate. Luckily, I was able to work with the agency I was interning for and we worked out a plan.
Q: What are your future goals?
A: My future goals sound simple but will be hard to get. I want to work for the Kane County Sheriff's Office as a deputy there. I am currently in the process of applying for a Court Security Officer and a Correctional Officer. I am hoping to get a chance to interview sometime in September and go to the academy and get a job a few months after I graduate in December. I may be done with school, but the hard work is just beginning.
Thanks for reading and thank you, Emily, for answering my questions,
Elisa Reamer
“I am Doing Just fine. I am Living Life At my own Speed, And that Speed Works well For me.”-The Fates Will Harmonize For You, RH Fowler
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