When deciding to take an APEX class, one factor that played into my decision process was scheduled, as I wasn’t sure if an APEX class would fit into my schedule. I can now reflect back that I am thankful that I chose to make it work, as I do not think that I could have benefitted from any other class as much as I did from Developing Web-Based Technologies (DWT).

At the beginning of the term I received my client, and at this moment I also started learning how to send professional emails, how to perfect a handshake, and how to work using the Agile methodology. Throughout the semester, I learned the ins and outs of Divi Builder to create a WordPress site for my client’s new personal training program– Train with Fire. Unlike many of the classes I’ve taken within the high school, the work I created during DWT did not disappear into the dark corners of my google drive directly after it was finished. It was truly a real-world experience of real value to my client as well as myself. Overall, my APEX experience was definitely dense with learning, and although I know that I do not want to go into the IT field, I know that I’ll take these skills with me wherever I go in the future.

Aside from the actual learning, I did in APEX, I also loved the environment they have cultivated there. My DWT team was a huge part of that!  We were able to laugh and have fun while also exchanging helpful feedback with one another. Every day it was such a positive and relaxed place to come to, and I honestly looked forward to going to school. Another one of my favorite aspects of APEX is the balance of independence and encouragement it gives students. I really felt like I was responsible for my own work without feeling like I was fending for myself. Through this, I was able to gain a lot of confidence in my own abilities to take initiative and be successful in whatever I choose to pursue. I’m incredibly thankful for that.