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I joined Lookout Mountain Conservancy a few summers ago after hearing about it through my older sister Sade who went through the program. I joined The Howard School Leadership Program because I love the outdoors and was curious about the work on the mountain.

The Real Deal

I thought at first that I was enrolling in an arts and crafts camp, but instead, it ended up being a real deal job! During my first week, I put in posts for the signs along the park, marking the trails. The work was harder than I thought it was going to be.

Before joining the program, I was resilient, being born with a broken arm probably made me that way! When things get tough, I keep trying. When it was time to take the ACT to get into college, I took it three times, each time trying to get a higher score until I was satisfied with the outcome. I’m blessed to come from a good home, having my mom and dad to take care of me and give me a smooth life. I’m lucky to have parents that are supportive. Growing up my dad hiked and rode bikes, so I had a love for the outdoors.

My favorite part about being on the LMC team is the people that I get to meet. The other interns I get to see at school, and now because we work together, we stop and talk to each other in the hall between classes. My most proud moment on the mountain was in the summer of 2020 when we installed the pollinator garden! The amount of work that it took was intense, detailed, and it was in the heat of the summer. The people in charge made sure everyone was on point and kept the task going so the team could finish. The program has taught me how to be a better problem solver and how to work well with all different types of people. My mentor Kobe helped me come out of my shell and learn how to trust my team. Kobe would push me into scenarios with volunteers on the property to learn how to work with others.

I Would Do it Again

I’ll take these skills with me, especially when I head into college. After I graduate high school, I’ll be heading straight into school to study law. I have always been intrigued by solving crime. When I was a child, I remember being in the car with my parents and a drunk driver swerving in front of us and eventually slamming into a car going through the upcoming green light. The sober driver was injured badly, and the drunk driver drove off and was never found. I remember wanting justice, and as I grew up that need for justice is sending me to college to become a lawyer. As I leave Chattanooga, I now know how to consider others, take on any task in front of me, and how to teach others to perfect their skills. If I could do it again, I would!

-Sinea