Most people appreciate visiting museums and art galleries, but think little about what happens behind the scenes.  Senior Courtney Lakoduk, an art and history enthusiast, takes her passion one step further.

As a sophomore, Lakoduk enrolled in AP Art History where she first discovered her interest in art history.

“I was impressed by the fact that she was very eager to take the class as a sophomore,” history teacher Mrs. Hachigian said. “She expressed a lot of maturity when facing a subject with that amount of content and rigor.”

The class broadened Lakoduk’s horizons and introduced her to new ideas for future professions.

“AP Art History class is why I am interested in art history,” Lakoduk said. “It is why I am pursuing that approach to history rather than the general approach.”

With the same determination that motivated her to take AP Art History as a sophomore, Lakoduk enrolled in the Academy program to get a true hands-on experience.

“I am doing an internship at the Oceanside Museum of Art,” Lakoduk said. “It’s a really neat regional art museum. I work as a docent so I give a lot of tours and do customer service and administrative stuff. I also got to help set up an art gallery where we lay out the art pieces and figure out the best way for customers to view the art exhibits.”

Now, Lakoduk is preparing for college and aims to major in art history which also has many benefits that can be applied outside of the art field.

“That major can give a lot of advantages for different careers,” Hachigian said. “It studies culture, historical events, religious content, political content and economic content. It can help with architecture, fashion design, interior design or religious studies. It gives reading and writing skills, too, which can help in any profession.”

As a senior this year, Lakoduk has rigorous classes, such as multivariable calculus, film-making in addition to her traditional AP classes. Her outlet from school is her internship at the OMA.

“For me, the internship is relaxing,” Lakoduk said. “It’s something I’m interested in and I get to do it almost everyday.”

Due to the influence of the Academy program and AP Art History class, Lakoduk plans to have a career as a museum curator, one who pieces together museum galleries and take care of museums.  Meanwhile, she will continue her internship until she leaves in the fall.

“Carlsbad High definitely influenced my decision for the future,” Lakoduk said. “I moved here from Scripps Ranch my sophomore year. If I didn’t, I don’t know if I would have found this passion.”