Breaking News
Community News

Teen of the Week: Waterford’s Chafin studies advertising, serves as Career Center ambassador

Waterford's Chafin studies advertising, serves as Career Center ambassador

By Jeffrey Saulton 4 min read

WATERFORD - Emma Chaffin was not originally planning on being a student at the Washington County Career Center. However, she fell in love with the graphic design and video production department after a visit during her sophomore year.

Chaffin, a senior at Waterford High School, is the daughter of the late Joy Harra and granddaughter of John and Rose Harra. She has a twin brother Hunter, who is in the medical college prep program at the Career Center.

Chaffin described her studies at the center as learning how graphics are used in advertising.

"What we do is we create graphics to advertise things," she said. "We also learn more in video production, which means in a lot of ads you see, we learn how to make those. ... We also learn how to network and get along with all kinds of people."

In college, she said she'd like to learn more about the business side of what she is studying now. She plans on attending The Ohio State University.

"I don't know exactly what I want to do, but I know I want to do something that connects me with people," she said. "Genuine human connection is something I yearn for. I would love to be in a career field where I get to learn more about people and who they are, not just what they do. I think that's my whole thing."

At Waterford, Chaffin was a member of the band from the eighth grade through her junior year

"I decided to drop band because I’ve been super busy, but the band was a big part of what I did there," she said.

Chaffin played different instruments during her time in the band, from Sousaphone to trumpet.

This year, she is a full-time student at the Career Center

"I attend my program classes and then I go to my academics," she said. "I recently started working a minimum wage job, and I also have a photography business that I’ve been balancing."

She has been doing mostly senior photos, but hopes to try to branch out with weddings.

From January to May, she will be in the Building Bridges to Careers program, on a photography project for a couple of churches. She said she plans to keep the photography business as a side hustle.

Chaffin is a Career Center ambassador, showing other students how the school can set them on their future career paths.

"When I was 11, my mom passed away, and I went to live with my grandparents," she said. "So, when I decided to go to the Career Center and when the opportunity came up to try to be a student ambassador, I was over the moon."

Chaffin said being a student ambassador involves two things she likes.

"I love talking to people, and I love being a leader for other people," she said. "So, being a student ambassador really helped me branch out and helped me be more myself."

Being an ambassador is like serving as the public face for the Career Center to prospective students, she said.

"I go to the schools and tell the students about my experiences and why I think it would be a good fit for them," she said. "I am also in charge of tours of the center. I talk about what we do and about the various programs. We just try to advertise the Career Center and all the opportunities we can bring to people."

When high school sophomores come to the center, they pick three programs that interest them the most and are paired with an ambassador to give them a look at what the programs cover. Students are eligible to start at the Career Center during their junior year.

"When I stepped foot in the graphic design department, I fell in love with it," she said. "I literally applied when I got on the bus back to school. I was very lucky to get to be a part of it. It was the people; they seemed so happy and creative."

Chaffin said she never met so many people so much like her.

"I'm a writer. I always have been. I love to draw and play music. And, I also think there's something beautiful in being human," she said. "I'm a very messy and complicated person, but I genuinely love the way I am because I'm able to connect with other people, and I hope to be a role model for other people and to show them that bad things can happen but good things can come from it."

Jeffrey Saulton can be reached at jsaulton@newsandsentinel.com.

Starting at /week.