Hi, my name is Cali Mitchum and I consider myself a meticulous person. Aside from being a huge nature buff, I’ve always really liked writing. Of course, sometimes I enjoy writing essays (because I think I’m pretty good at it), but what I really like is the act of writing. Cursive and calligraphy have always spoken to me as a unique form of art that I can use to connect with my peers and express myself. Recently, it’s become an outreach opportunity as well. Last year, I designed a new logo for D-Feet Cancer, The Dalton Fox Foundation for their annual race. It was an honor to help them and see racers in my design supporting the Foxes. In the next couple of months, I’m hoping to use my talent for two more designs: one with the Class of 2024 and another to raise money with the National Honor Society (NHS) and Key Club for charity. 

I go to a half-day program at the Brock Environmental Center, and perhaps one of the most profound academic experiences I’ve had in my life was being able to combine my love of the environment with that artistic skill in our field journaling exercises. Seeing nature and art coalesce into an exploration of the world around me was something I had never experienced in school before. I loved the entire process: leading my own learning by drawing, questioning, and researching was immensely gratifying. The experience also grew my love for problem-solving, which is one reason of many that I want to be an environmental engineer in the future.

I’ve definitely committed to a lot this year between leading Key Club and Spanish Honor Society, positions on two City Council Commissions, and a couple of internships at the Brock Center (one of which will involve teaching field journaling to Title I students with MOCA, and displaying my artwork at an exhibit there), but I can’t wait to take on senior year.