Four years ago, I made a monumental decision to switch from my local public school to Perkiomen with a goal of stretching myself to become better prepared for college. I was fortunate that during my time at Perkiomen, the Entrepreneurial and Medical Institutes were launched. I knew they were both unique and specially-focused academic opportunities that I would not have found anywhere else, so I decided to enroll in not just one, but both Institutes.

When I was 13-years-old, I realized that pet products, grooming, and boarding are all a growing industry and that when people travel, they may spend more than hundreds of dollars to board their pets. Pairing that information with my love for animals, in 2014 I started my business which five years later would be called True Collars Pet Sitting. I printed out posters with my name, phone number, prices, and a small paragraph of information about myself and what I was offering and put them in all of my neighbors’ doorways. My service was a hit and more than three quarters of my first summer pet sitting was spent watching other people’s animals. When Perkiomen’s Entrepreneur Institute opened, I realized that I had the perfect business idea already in motion and decided with a bit more work and focus, I could transform my summer side job into my capstone project.

When the Medical Institute was launched during my senior year, I knew that I had to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. I knew that I was seeking a career in the medical profession and wanted to go to medical school, so I utilized this opportunity to learn more about the medical field and to further my knowledge about animals. Building upon five years of connections from pet sitting, I decided to focus my research on canine separation anxiety.

After doing a thorough literature review on other studies dealing with canine separation anxiety, I found a gap in the research. The next question I posed was: is there is a correlation between canine separation anxiety and specific breeds of domesticated dogs? I followed the process of forming a hypothesis, creating an observational experiment, gathering subjects, performing the study, and organizing the data. I learned through doing, drawing the conclusion that there were limitations within my research such as having a small data pool, varied location of observations, and limited time. Through this senior project, I learned an unbelievable amount of research techniques, and was able to add this specific research experience to my college applications.

Graduating with both Medical and Entrepreneur Distinction has uniquely prepared me for my next steps in college.  I came to Perkiomen because I knew that I needed to go to a school that would challenge me and provide a safe place for me to grow and prosper. I will always remember the friendships that I have made but the most important thing that I have taken away from Perkiomen is the ability to approach life with confidence and manage rigorous academic coursework.

By Greysen Schlupp ’19

Greysen Schlupp ’19 came to Perkiomen as a day student from Red Hill, Pa. While at Perkiomen, Greysen seized the many leadership opportunities available, including serving as a Writing Center tutor, a campus tour guide, and on Honor Review Board, as well as representing Perkiomen at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and locally, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Diversity (MARD) conference. Greyson feels he learned the most at Perkiomen from the time spent outside of the classroom involved with Model UN and the MARD conference. He will continue to use the strengths he developed in time management and study skills at Thomas Jefferson University studying Pre-Med. 

I came to Perkiomen because I knew that I needed to go to a school that would challenge me and provide a safe place for me to grow and prosper. I will always remember the friendships that I have made but the most important thing that I have taken away from Perkiomen is the ability to approach life with confidence and manage rigorous academic coursework.   - Greysen Schlupp '19