By Josey Morris
The influence of one person can shape the future.
“I left the session and I was immediately applying,” she said.
Madelyn Cooper, speaker of the quote above, is a 2025 graduate who has decided on her future career. A Ball State University Journalism Day session solidified any questions Cooper had about her future career.
The most common college pathways in the United States are business, health and social sciences. These three pathways make up 40% of America’s majors.
What about the majors that aren’t seen as often?
With Delta High School’s 2025 senior class graduating, there are students choosing to continue into one of the most common majors. Then there are the few that choose to branch out.
On April 25, Cooper attended motorsports reporter Katie Kiel’s Ball State JDay session. Cooper said being able to listen to how Katie Kiel made a name for herself in racing really inspired her.
“She helped me envision what I could do,” Cooper said.
In the session, Cooper took note on how Kiel got started in motorsports.
Kiel began her career by producing a chain of broadcasting videos where she would interview racers. “Kicking it with Katie,” her channel, gave her the experience and attention she needed to progress.
The methods Kiel used to jump start her career stuck with Cooper, her now planning a broadcasting podcast or channel to get her name out into the racing world.
“It’s kind of hard not to be inspired by that,” Cooper said.
After the session, Cooper talked to Kiel one on one, gaining the insight she needed to pick her college goal.
Cooper was stuck in a decision between media journalism or written journalism. She told Kiel what she wanted to do in the future for her career, and Kiel helped Cooper decide media journalism is for her.
Although Cooper just recently decided on her main focus, she’s known since she was little what she had a passion for.
Sports.
Cooper grew up watching IndyCar and playing sports. Motorsports always had her interest, though.
Along with motorsports, journalism has always been an interest for Cooper.
While Cooper loves sports, she can’t play them anymore due to health issues. Cooper said journalism is still a way to be a part of sports while doing something she loves.
“Not that I’m nosy, but I love to know, I love to ask questions,” Cooper said.
Cooper also gained a lot of her inspiration for journalism through Delta graduate Grace Hollars, a visual journalist. Hollars has photographed multiple Olympics and many other sporting events with the Indianapolis Star.
Cooper interviewed Hollars during her junior year and wrote a feature article on her for journalism class.
“Hearing her talk about being a woman in such a male dominated field is something that was really inspiring,” Cooper said.
Cooper isn’t the only graduating senior interested in motorsports. Senior Jacob Snodgrass has known for a while he wants to work on cars.
He’s found a college that can help him achieve his goal of working for a race team.
Snodgrass is attending the University of Northwestern Ohio and majoring in Automotive High Performance.
“It wasn’t until a couple months ago that I found out about this school,” he said.
Snodgrass was introduced to the college in one of his classes. A representative of the college had come to give a presentation on their program.
Snodgrass believed the college sounded promising so he scheduled a meeting with one of the representatives.
“Most tech schools it’s all just automotive,” Snodgrass said. “I would most likely end up working at O’Reilly’s.”
Snodgrass said getting his schooling done at Northwestern Ohio could set him up to work on cars for a race team.
“At first I thought it was just another college,” Snodgrass said. “I was caught off guard by how many facilities they have and the opportunities it would give me.”
He said he prefers working with his hands over sitting in an office all day.
The Northwestern Ohio college rep said around 70% of his schooling will be hands-on.
Currently Snodgrass is working at Hired Guns Paint, a custom motorcycle shop.
Opportunities are something familiar to another graduating senior.
Jaelee Mattox has had the opportunity to be a part of the Fire and Emergency Medical Technician classes at the Muncie Area Career Center. Mattox was able to get her certifications in these areas, preparing her for her career.
Mattox is going to an Ivy Tech nine-month program for phlebotomy, hoping to work in either a hospital or a blood donation center.
“I would be working in one of these places so that I can directly help patients by drawing blood,” Mattox said.
Mattox found out about a year ago that she wanted to go into phlebotomy. This started when she got her blood drawn for the first time.
Mattox said she has been working hard in her current classes so she can hopefully start in phlebotomy right out of high school.
“After a few years, if I decide to further my education in phlebotomy that would be a great stepping stone opportunity,” Mattox said.
Mattox said her personal qualities will benefit her in her future career. She said her ability to stay calm under pressure and her communication skills help her connect with patients.
Another one of these seniors is Hailie Woodring. She is going to Purdue University with an end goal to go into forensic sciences.
Science has been a big part in Woodring’s life ever since she was little. She has participated on Delta’s Academic Super Bowl Science team and has attended science camps.
“It’s always been a part of my life and I’ve been interested in it,” Woodring said.
Woodring said she has always wanted to do something in science whether it was paleontology, anthropology or forensic anthropology.
Now graduating, Woodring’s goal is to become a forensic scientist. Hoping to eventually get her doctorate degree, she has a big goal of working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“I watch a lot of true crime shows,” Woodring said.
Most of her inspiration and goals stem from her hobby. Many different main characters inspire Woodring to be like them in her future field of work.
While Woodring has goals for her career, she is currently preparing to familiarize herself with her line of work.
Woodring works at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, doing mostly patient transportation. She transports psych patients, criminals, dead people to the morgue and examines autopsies.
“To be exposed to just about everything possible,” Woodring said. “To prepare myself to see if I can handle this level of work.”
A common theme between these seniors is opportunities. Each has taken the opportunity to learn new things, experience new interests, and be different from the rest.
