Charlotte (Whittaker) Kellim, class of 2008, first heard about IMSA when she was in elementary school and the idea immediately appealed to her. After her family moved and she had to change schools in eighth grade, she knew she wanted the chance IMSA offered to start fresh with other like-minded students.
When she arrived, she appreciated the sense of community IMSA offered. During orientation, she remembers that she had just learned how to knit and would take her knitting everywhere, which created an interesting conversation starter. Having decided she would try new things, she got involved in drama club, ran cross country and track, played basketball for a year, and she served as a hall rep in 1502 one year.
In terms of academics, Kellim enjoyed social studies and foreign language classes. Math and chemistry she found much more challenging. Sophomore year she took Mr. Sewell's intersession on making pottery teapots, and she wishes she could have taken more art classes. Junior year she participated in a mentorship program with a local city council. Senior year she did an independent study on numerical sequences in art.
Having the opportunity to take so many different classes helped Kellim to figure out her interests. What she learned at IMSA about how to study and complete projects under pressure also helped her in college and beyond. She attended the University of Georgia and studied international affairs and romance languages. After graduating she participated in AmeriCorps and worked in Oakland, CA. She then moved back to Georgia and started working in marketing. She got an MBA at Duke University and currently works as a brand manager for Magnum Ice Cream. She still values her IMSA friends and the way the experience helped her grow and become independent.
Interviewer: Sara Goek. Duration: 31:12

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