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Recent Westfield High School (WHS) graduate Alicia Silhavy has never been one to waste time. Always keeping her eyes on the future, she has already begun a career with a local software company and amassed enough college credits to hit the campus of Savanah School of Arts and Design as a sophomore this quarter. She acknowledges that her experiences while attending Westfield High School enabled her to develop the skills she needs to go forward.
“I actually graduated early on Valentine’s Day 2019,” Silhavy says. “I had already been working for Archon Tech, a software consulting and marketing company since 2017. A friend who also graduated from Westfield High School showed them some of my work. They got in touch with me and hired me.”
When asked what activities had the greatest impact on her while attending Westfield High School, Silhavy cited three major influences. For two years she was the editor-in-chief of the school yearbook. She also participated in The Idea Farm, a maker space club sponsored by the school’s innovation specialist, Joel Bruns. In addition, she is a 13-year member of the Girl Scouts of America.
“I didn’t realize that the nerdy hobbies I had could become a profession until I started working on the yearbook,” Silhavy says. “Being editor was a really large job. I had to break down huge tasks into bite-sized pieces while learning time management and developing interpersonal skills while managing a staff.”
The Idea Farm is held in the school’s learning center and has woodworking, textiles, and technology stations. The club offers a collaborative workspace for making, learning, exploring and sharing ideas. It offers students the chance to experiment on both high- and low-tech equipment.
Silhavy says, “I’m sure I drove Mr. Bruns crazy with all my questions and ideas! The Idea Farm was a great resource for me.”
Over the 13 years, Silhavy has been involved in Girl Scouting, she has been recognized for her community service and leadership several times and has received the prestigious bronze and silver awards. In July 2019, she took a Girl Scout senior trip to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. She and the other members of her troop worked with the National Park Service to clean and restore trails.
When asked what her favorite aspect of Girl Scouting is, Silhavy says, “The importance of giving younger girls a role model, it means a lot. I got to share personal values with other younger girls.”
At Savanah College of Art and Design, Silhavy is studying User Experience Design. She took classes on campus during the summer of 2018 and then continued with online classes throughout the past school year. Her course of study involves learning how people work and interact with computers while focusing on branding, logo development, and print design.
“I’m having so much fun,” Silhavy says. “I will continue to work for Archon Tech remotely while I’m on campus. I love connecting the two halves of my brain, the developer part with the designing part!”
