Skyler Sherwood, a junior at Hobart High School, has been an active member of a community she loves and a student who constantly shows everyone around her what it means to be a #1StudentNWI.
Born and raised in Oak Lawn, Illinois, Sherwood moved to Hobart in the summer of 2014 to be closer to family and enjoy the kind and caring communities of Indiana.
“We have a lot of family who live in Portage and we have always been a fan of Indiana,” Sherwood said. “Everyone is so friendly here. So, being closer to family and being a part of a smaller, friendlier town is really nice and is what I really love about Northwest Indiana.”
Since her big move from Oak Lawn, Sherwood has become one of those individuals striving to make Hobart a place where the friendly reputation stays intact. She is a part of countless organizations that have a stake in her high school and the community.
“I’m a member of the National Honors Society, I am the Vice President of the French Club, and I’m in theatre and in charge of all of the makeup and costume design for our shows,” Sherwood said. “I keep pretty busy.”
But out of everything Sherwood does in her spare time, her true passion is for art and writing. During the school day, she looks forward to English and her AP Art class so that she can let her intensely creative side shine through.
“I’ve loved art and writing ever since I was little,” Sherwood said. “When I was younger, I wanted to be an artist, then I wanted to be a journalist, then I wanted to be an artist again, then I wanted to be a teacher. I’m all over the place!”
And while she still has time to figure out what path she wants to take in the future, becoming an English teacher has been of a lot of interest to her.
“I’ve been thinking lately about becoming an English teacher and teaching creative writing,” Sherwood said. “If that’s something I decide I want to do, I would love to be an English professor at an university.”
Even though she loves the idea of being an English teacher in the future, Sherwood is also drawn to journalism and writing, which is how she became part of Ideas In Motion Media’s student program, #1StudentNWI.
“My journalism teacher approached me about the program and asked if I would be interested,” Sherwood explained. “And immediately, I thought it was awesome to me.”
Her job with #1StudentNWI is actually Sherwood’s first job and when her journalism teacher approached her about the program in October of last year, she was on board. She met the team, the students and the editor, Julia Rhodes, and knew she was in the right place.
“When Julia left, I was offered to take her spot as editor in January and I immediately accepted,” she explained. “The other students in the program are awesome and it’s been so much fun.”
Sherwood hopes to continue her writing, whether it is as an English teacher or a journalist, when she goes off to college next year.
“Purdue University and Ball State University are on my short list for schools,” she said. “I’m really looking into Ball State because I know their education program is amazing. But I’m going to wait and apply later in August.”
And while she is excited to continue that next chapter of her life, Sherwood can’t help but be a little nervous about leaving her family.
“I’m an only child, so I am incredibly close to my parents and my cousin Haylee,” she said. “I’m a little scared to leave the nest because my parents and my family are my people and I love them so much. We all live in the same area and it has brought us so much closer together.”
Art and writing weren’t the only major things in her life growing up; Sherwood has really had a love for just about anything creative.
“I used to dance, I write poetry and I paint,” Sherwood said. “I was raised around music and grew up listening to so many genres of music that it has become a huge part of my life.”
Sherwood’s favorite band is Nirvana and will listen to anything but country. Along with music, Sherwood loves to write poetry and read thrillers and mystery books, just about anything that will satisfy her creative side.
“I’ve never been an athletic person,” she explained. “I wish had been involved in sports more, but I have always had a focus and a love for the creative spectrum of things.”
The #1StudentNWI program is always on the lookout for incredible and hardworking students who want to make a difference in their community one article at a time. Her passion in her education, her art, and her community are just a few examples as to why Skyler Sherwood is one of those students.
For more information about the #1StudentNWI program, go to www.nwindianalife.com.