Jalon Baxter is a graduating senior at Castle View High School who loves playing music and rock climbing in his free time.

Courtesy photo

About me

I am a graduating senior at Castle View High School. In my free time, I play guitar, go rock climbing, hang out with friends or play with my band. I would rather be outside than sitting inside playing video games. School has always been something I am interested in; I enjoy learning about the world I live in.

Interning with Town of Castle Rock

The internship I was granted with the Town of Castle Rock, specifically with the GIS (geographic information systems) team, was centered around the creation of the Community Resources Map, which can be found on the GIS webpage. My task was to create a map of locations that would be helpful to new or curious Castle Rock residents. GIS is interesting to me because of its spatial connection to data and the kinds of analysis GIS programs are capable of. The flexibility that GIS offers, in terms of its capabilities and analysis, allows it to be applicable to just about any career. A GIS is simply a useful tool for visual data storage. The visualization of data, like census data for example, provides insights into the everyday world we live in that would not have otherwise have been visible in numbers or spreadsheets. 

Looking to science

After graduation I will be attending the Colorado School of Mines for mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or computer science. I haven’t quite decided yet due to my lack of experience in general physics. My plan is to get a bachelor’s degree in a general science and redirect my education to nanochemistry or nanophysics afterwards. Theoretical and particle physics and chemistry are fascinating to me.

Saying goodbye

Leaving Castle Rock will be hard because I’ve spent the last 10 or so years here. It’s my home — where I grew up with my friends and family. There are so many memories I have here and it’s sad to see a chapter of my life ending. But it is also exciting to open the next chapter and explore the possibilities and opportunities it holds.

My advice

I believe that life is all about maintaining balance. Everything that is unbalanced falls over eventually. Secondarily, I think it is important to be open to adaptations to maintain balance. Life, in my experience, does not generally allow for forcible balance.