With the Class of 2016 Commencement Ceremony fast approaching, seniors are beginning to look towards their futures all the while feeling the nervous excitement that comes with the unknown. However, we should also remember that the end of high school is only the beginning of a journey through life.

However, we should also remember that the end of high school is only the beginning of a journey through life. York Alum, Mary Margaret Koch, and current student at American University, exemplifies how we should continue to challenge ourselves after high school.

On April 6, Koch was nominated as SPA’s woman of the year.

But her accomplishments do not stop there: “She is an orientation leader, a Director of Mental Health, and the first to complete a capstone through the Community-Based Research Scholars program,” said American University’s newspaper Her Campus. “Her capstone was based on her work and passion for mental health on college campuses. She will be presenting her research at a conference in April.”

We took a few moments to do a Q&A with Koch:

How did York influence and prepare you for your involvement with the Community Based Research Scholars program?

York did a phenomenal job preparing me to succeed in college in general. There are so many skills that York taught me that I took for granted – things like knowing how to take good notes during class and use excel come in handy! Taking Ms. Carlson’s social studies research class senior year was especially helpful, because it allowed me to be familiar with the research process before starting in the Community-Based Research Scholars (CBRS) program at AU.

What advice would you offer students pursuing careers in public advocacy?

First things first – if you’re in high school and want to pursue a career in public advocacy or policy I applaud you, because it was something that was never on my radar before I went to college. The biggest piece of advice I would offer is to find something you’re passionate about and run with it, even if there isn’t a clear path for how that passion can become a career. There are plenty of jobs out there, and the skills you learn along the way can transfer to a variety of different fields and topic areas.

How did you feel after receiving news about your nomination and what other projects do you hope/intend to tackle in the future?

I was truly surprised and humbled to learn that I’d received the award – especially when I still have two years left of college. I’m really looking forward to the research I’ll be working on this summer, which will look at changes in student stress and anxiety at a national level, instead of just at a specific university.