“NAF Student Reflection: How Feeling Believed in Makes All the Difference”

When I first started at Lighthouse Academy, in Grand Rapids, MI, I wasn’t a very confident person, and it took a little while for me to adjust. That version of me could not imagine giving a speech, like I recently did at the 2025 Michigan Career Education Conference, alongside Celena Mills, who is the State Director for the Office of Career and Technical Education. What surprised me about Lighthouse was that my teachers believed in me in a way that felt completely genuine. I believe this difference was key to getting me to where I am today.

This year, I was selected to be in a Career Readiness Program called Jobs for Michigan Graduates (JMG). In this class, we learned about career paths and other career-oriented activities. Beyond our classroom learning, we went on trips and met people in different industries, as a part of a NAF-created program called “Savor and Soar.”

On the “Savor and Soar” trip, we learned about the hospitality industry, while we took tours of the Van Andel Arena and the Amway Grand. We started the trip at Van Andel, where we were given a tour of their facilities. I also had the opportunity to see the underground tunnels that led to everything, and most importantly, I touched a Zamboni for the first time. They are so much bigger up close! After that, I got to stand on the ice, which was a unique experience I never would have had if not for this trip. The final thing I did was see the locker rooms. This trip sparked my interest in hockey!

We then used the skywalk to travel to the Amway Grand. At the Amway, we received an amazing tour and were treated to delicious food— some of the best I’ve ever had. During this tour, we saw everything the hotel had to offer. First, we took a tour of the basic facilities and then we went deeper and behind the scenes, where we saw the bakery and, I’ll tell you, it smells unbelievable! There we also got to see the maintenance tunnels, before looking inside the light and sound booth of the banquet hall.

During this exceptional tour I learned something rather interesting: Many people in the hospitality industry have a degree in psychology. It’s nice to know if being a doctor doesn’t work out, there are many other fields in which my future degree can be of use.

I just want to take a moment to say thank you to NAF, JMG, and Lighthouse for giving myself and others these amazing opportunities. I can say without a doubt; these opportunities have made all the difference.