For three young women in the Knott Scholar community, summer was an opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, explore future careers and grow as leaders.
Summit Redondo-McGuire and Aaliyah Perez, both seniors at Notre Dame Preparatory School, and Catherine Salmon, an eighth grader at St. Philip Neri School, participated in National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) programs—each choosing a different path to broaden her horizons.
Summit: Exploring a Future in Medicine
Summit is already a two-time NSLC participant, attending UC Berkeley last summer and Columbia University in New York City this year. Both times, she focused on health and medicine, participating in lectures, dissections, surgery simulations, team-building activities and leadership sessions alongside students from around the world.
“The program has taught me that my profile is never complete. I will never stop exploring opportunities that take me to new areas, around new people, in the field of medicine and health care,” Summit said.
The experiences have helped confirm Summit’s desire to pursue medicine—and her enthusiasm inspired fellow Knott Scholar Aaliyah Perez to give NSLC a try.
Aaliyah: Taking a Leap Across the Atlantic
Aaliyah decided to go big, choosing a medical program at Oxford University. The experience marked her first time traveling alone to another country.
“I was afraid to do that, but I gained a lot of confidence through the experience,” Aaliyah said.
Between medical lectures and simulations, leadership sessions and exploring Oxford, Aaliyah strengthened her collaboration skills and learned to connect with people from different backgrounds.
“I would recommend this to other Knott Scholars,” she said. “You get out of your comfort zone. You find yourself.”
Catherine: Exploring New Possibilities
At just 13, Catherine is also a two-time NSLC participant. She attended American University for engineering in 2025 and returned in 2026 to explore government and law. From launching model rockets at Georgetown University to working with a team to research real-world problems and create laws to address them, Catherine has embraced every opportunity to learn something new.
“The program is perfect for a Knott Scholar because it has a similar feel to our events when people have to work together and collaborate on situations that mirror real life,” Catherine said. “I cannot wait to go again next year.”
From New York to Oxford to Washington, D.C., these three Scholars show what can happen when young people say yes to new opportunities. Along the way, they gained confidence, independence, new friendships and a broader sense of what their futures might hold.
