• “Behind the Lens” - with Raffy Pasenko 

    Raffys Behind the Lens Webpage Profile Picture
    (New Trier Graduate ’25)

    1. What inspired you to create this?
      My inspiration behind this  was that when I was a junior, I was a student in the PAES lab, and  not many  people knew what it was including myself. This was an opportunity that I wanted to take on . I wanted to create a space where people both inside and outside of New Trier could learn more information about PAES.  Then, it gave me the idea to branch out further to more off campus job locations that New Trier partners with. I also  take a special interest in photography, so I connected this skill and ensured I personally took photos of the jobs sites I visited. After taking the photos, I moved on to collaborate with New Trier staff to design a webpage that will help  people of the New Trier School District in the years ahead to learn more about Vocational Services that New Trier offers.

    2. What was the highlight of making this site?
      My favorite part of making the site was gathering information by going out into the community. I got to visit places I did not know existed right in my hometown while talking to various business owners, employees, and clients of the sites.

    3. List any challenges you came across when developing this webpage?
      One challenge we had was planning meetings in the community as accommodating different people’s schedules was tough. Some people could not meet with us, which made it hard to arrange for other times to revisit for an interview. Communication was another issue as not everyone would reply in certain time frames. This would affect how the day would be set up to make this process run smoothly and ensure I did not fall behind in my work.

    4. How did you select the job sites/ businesses you chose to share on the page?
      I knew some of my classmates who worked at the job sites. I asked if I could observe them and ask them a few questions about their experiences. It also was a priority to work with local businesses that also work with the  New Trier population. I was able to also conduct interviews with people accordingly.

    5. Who helped you during this process?
      • Mrs. Wojcik-Vocational Education Coordinator (Winnetka Campus)
      • Mrs. Buell- Case Manager
      • Ms. Jones- Senior Project Assistant
      • Mr. Spektor- New Trier Web Developer
      • Mrs. Blackburn- Senior Project Mentor
      • Ms. Daybook-PAES Lab Coordinator
      • New Trier Community Partners