Comprehensive Study Notes on Secondary and Higher Education Experiences

Background and Secondary Education Journey

• Educational History and School Dual-Enrollment:

  • Ashlyn attended Catholic school for her entire life, eventually graduating from Lehman Catholic High School.
  • Family legacy at Lehman Catholic High School includes her father and his brothers, though her father transferred in and out of Lehman during his school years.
  • Family religious engagement was primarily restricted to holidays, rather than weekly Sunday church attendance (which was practiced more consistently by her cousins). Over time, the family ceased attending church even on holidays.
  • During her junior and senior years of high school, Ashlyn simultaneously attended a career tech school for sports medicine alongside students from all surrounding Shelby County public high schools.
  • As a result of completing both programs during her junior and senior years, Ashlyn graduated from two high schools.

• Family Dynamics and Social Backlash:

  • In eighth grade during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ashlyn learned that her parents were separating.
  • Her parents did not officially separate until approximately two years later, toward the end of her freshman year of high school.
  • Beginning high school was exceptionally difficult due to the public nature of her parents' divorce, which involved infidelity (cheating).
  • Because divorce directly contradicted Catholic Church doctrine, Ashlyn experienced significant hate, hostility, and judgment from peers in her Lehman high school class.
  • Prior to the divorce, she was already not closely integrated with her high school graduating class, as growing up participating in travel sports led her to build strong friendships with peers from other school districts.

Social Dynamics and Cultural Comparisons: Lehman Catholic vs. Career Tech

• Lehman Catholic High School Social Climate:

  • Clique Structure: The high school class was highly socially stratified and clicky. A popular crowd operated with an attitude of superiority over other students, alongside other distinct social groups ("weird crowds").
  • Age and Peer Alignment: Ashlyn refused to let age define her social circle, maintaining friendships primarily with students in the grades above and below her, as well as friends outside the school system.
  • Culture and Atmosphere: The environment required individuals to maintain a artificial persona. Authentic, meaningful conversations were rare, and interactions often felt fake.
  • Dining and Isolation: Lunch periods were split into distinct group schedules. Sitting with a different social clique during lunch was considered strange or taboo.
  • Religious and Social Expectations: Students experienced pressure to conform strictly to Catholic rules without personal freedom or choices. Peers socially ostracized individuals who did not attend church services.
  • Demographics: Extremely homogeneous, with at least 95\text{\n%} of the student body identified as Caucasian.
  • Political Ideology: Predominantly conservative, with approximately 98\text{\n%} of the school identifying as Republican. Political discourse was heavily centered around enforced pro-life views, leaving little opportunity for alternative political education or personal perspective.
  • Bullying and LGBTQ+ Stances: Middle school years were marked by issues with cyberbullying. High school featured conflicts surrounding students belonging to the LGBTQ+ community and incidents/actions occurring at "Jesus camps." Expressing or embodying LGBTQ+ identities was treated as socially unacceptable due to institutional adherence to church doctrines.
  • Socioeconomic Factors: Having grown up in a family with financial means, Ashlyn faced pre-existing stereotypes from peers who assumed she was snobby, stuck-up, or self-absorbed prior to meeting her. Additionally, certain peers attempted to take advantage of her house and personal freedom.

• Career Tech School Social Climate:

  • Social Atmosphere: Highly inclusive, welcoming, and diverse environment where students from various backgrounds and schools interacted freely.
  • Dining and Interaction: Included three separate lunch periods where students could interact and sit with anyone regardless of background or clique.
  • Ideological Diversity: Allowed for open expression of varying personal, moral, and religious beliefs, including open debates between pro-choice and pro-life viewpoints.
  • Demographics: While majority Caucasian, the school possessed significantly higher ethnic and racial diversity compared to Lehman Catholic High School.
  • Political Ideology: Balanced political breakdown, split roughly $50/50$ among different political perspectives.
  • LGBTQ+ Atmosphere: Included a large, visible LGBTQ+ community. Although minor teasing occurred, the environment allowed students to easily step away from negativity without facing systemic group targeting or harassment.

Faculty, Administration, and Institutional Experiences

• Lehman Catholic High School Administration and Staff:

  • Freshman Year: Maintained a supportive front office staff and an effective principal.
  • Sophomore Year Principal Incident: A new principal took over in sophomore year who created a negative environment.
  • Church Absence Incident: The sophomore principal degraded Ashlyn for missing a Friday school church service to attend a funeral. Unaware of the family's situation, the principal asserted that Ashlyn had a "perfect life with a perfect family" and noted she had only ever met her father, not her mother.
  • Staff Intervention: Another staff member overheard the principal's comments and directly intervened, telling the principal to stop because she was unaware of the severe personal hardships Ashlyn was enduring.
  • Teaching Staff: Despite administrative issues, many classroom teachers were caring and treated students with dignity and empathy.

• Career Tech School Faculty:

  • Instructional Approach: Teachers focused on providing optimal experiences, practical knowledge, and support to prepare all students for their individual future goals.
  • Sports Medicine Lab Instructor: Dedicated teacher who invested deeply in the success of her students regardless of their career goals. Ashlyn maintains a close relationship and regular contact with this instructor $3$ years after graduating.

Special Education and Disability Inclusion Programs

• Lehman Catholic High School:

  • Lacked a comprehensive, dedicated special education program.
  • Utilized an Individualized Education Program (IEP) room primarily used for quiet study or targeted support.
  • A single student with a disability in Ashlyn's class was fully integrated into all general education courses, receiving assistance within the standard classroom context rather than being segregated.

• Career Tech School "Explore Lab":

  • Maintained a fully integrated, hands-on special education program designated as the "Explore Lab."
  • Program focused on practical skill-building, assisting students with securing job opportunities, and assigning active tasks around the school (such as distributing items).
  • Social Integration: Students from standard classes, including sports medicine, regularly ate lunch with Explore Lab students and participated in joint field trips and athletic activities.
  • Career Impact: The positive, highly accepting environment of the Explore Lab directly inspired Ashlyn's decision to pursue a career working with children with disabilities.

Post-Secondary Education and Higher Education Transition

• Transition to College and Medical Interruption:

  • Accepted to the main campus of Ohio State University (OSU) following high school graduation.
  • Due to medical issues and health uncertainties, Ashlyn dropped out of OSU main campus after $1$ week and transitioned into full-time employment.
  • Took a gap semester during the fall before enrolling at OSU Lima for the spring semester of her freshman year.

• Academic Progression and Social Experience at OSU Lima:

  • Freshman Year: Kept to herself completely, attending classes solely to complete work before returning home. Maintained social contact with only $3$ close friends.
  • Summer Courses: Expanded her social circle by taking summer classes and spending time with peers from other schools.
  • Sophomore Year: Switched academic majors during the fall semester of her sophomore year and formed new friendships across diverse age groups.
  • Current Academic Status: Currently a junior pursuing a bachelor's degree at OSU, having changed her major a total of two times (currently on her third degree program).

• Commuter Student Perspective and Personal Beliefs:

  • Commuter Choice: Lives at home rather than on campus, saving money and prioritizing individual well-being over traditional college experiences like living in dorms or attending parties.
  • Social Reflection: Acknowledges external commentary from family and peers regarding missing out on traditional campus life, but remains confident and satisfied with her path.
  • Personal Faith: Maintains a personal, individual relationship with God on her own terms, rejecting forced institutional indoctrination while reflecting critically on her negative experiences at Catholic school.