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Vivian Roman (’26) came to Prep as a fifth grader for SummerPrep, when Kaitlyn Ward (’20) was a SummerPrep counselor in Media. They met in a summer Photography class, and the two have been in one another’s orbit ever since. They got together this week to look back at their time at Prep and how it has impacted their lives as they launch on different paths, Vivian in nursing and Kaitlyn in public policy. 

When Kaitlyn was a senior at Prep, she wrote a letter of encouragement to Vivian, an incoming sixth grader. “It really helped to have someone to talk to,” reflected Vivian, “Kaitlyn didn't make me feel dumb for being young. It always felt cool having a senior friend, and it showed me that age doesn’t determine connection.” Thanks to the electives being mixed grades within middle and upper sections at Prep, they both made friends of different ages and connected around shared interests.

The learning across different ages was reciprocal. Kaitlyn said, “I loved intermingling with all ages. Older kids can be examples and models for our younger friends. Working as a counselor allowed me to peer into how younger kids see the world and showed me things I hadn’t noticed on campus. Working at SummerPrep was a very memorable experience for me.”

Kaitlyn chose Sandia Prep for its language program. As a Chinese American adopted from China, she wanted to learn Chinese and be exposed to international exchange opportunities. She emerged from Prep speaking Chinese and making international friends from the exchange program. Many of her friendships made at Prep have continued long after college. She went to The University of New Mexico and completed a master's degree in political science, which she credits to her opportunities to learn about government and international relations at Prep. She hopes to work as a policy analyst at the New Mexico Department of Justice or with the New Mexico Health Care Authority.

This year, Kaitlyn and Vivian bumped into each other at the New Mexico State Capital building, where Kaitlyn was working as a legislative assistant for Representative Linda Serrato. Vivian was there with a group of students during the legislative session as part of Prep’s “Median Makers” program advocating for funding support for a potential capital outlay project to improve Osuna Road. The students practiced their public speaking to advocate for beautifying the median on Osuna Road and increasing safety by adding an automated crosswalk signal near the school's front gate. Vivian and her classmates learned about the process of working with the state government and what it takes to make improvements in our community. Kaitlyn handed the letter from Prep students to her representative. Kaitlyn said, “Public Policy is such an important avenue, and it’s great that Prep helped us to be civically engaged at a young age. The leadership skills we discovered in ourselves at Prep carried through.”

Vivian developed her leadership skills  as one of the founders and the manager for the Pitchfork Café on campus for two years. It started as a class she tried out in ninth grade taught by Daniel De León. She said, “Mr. De León made me believe in myself.” The café began offering just a few espresso drinks, and under Vivian’s leadership expanded its menu to become a central gathering place for special events as well as for students and teachers to relax and connect outside of classes. An event at the Pitchfork that stood out for her this year was a gathering for the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, where she got to hear the career stories of local business owners. Kaitlyn saw the Pitchfork Café for the first time when the two met, and she was impressed by Vivian’s role in helping to build it into a popular place on campus.

During Vivian's time at Prep, she did competitive gymnastics and her all-time favorite class was Anatomy taught by Matt Westerlund. She thought about a career in real estate, but since AI is moving into the field, she decided that nursing would be a better choice. “People will always need nurses,” she said. She’s about to move across the country to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she plans to become a Registered Nurse and then possibly go on to get an Master of Science in Nursing work as a nurse practitioner.

Both Kaitlyn and Vivian agree that, more than anything, the passion and kindness of the teachers at Prep along with a sense of community made their experiences so rewarding. Vivian said, “I feel super prepared for college.” Ultimately, Vivian’s words of advice to her younger self and new Prep students are to be open to new friendships, try new classes, and be kind to people. Kaitlyn’s words of wisdom are "don't limit yourself, make community where you’re at, stay present, soak in the time at Prep because it goes by really fast, appreciate the passionate teachers and dedicated community, and most of all, never be shy to ask questions!”