A’mon Holmes wants to pursue a career in nutrition and healthcare. “I’ve watched people really struggle with diseases and I’ve learned how it’s linked to things like what we’re eating and the environment we’re in, and I want to learn how to help people find healing and prevail from those diseases,” he says.
While getting his associate degree at Oakton, A’mon is also pursuing certificates in cannabis dispensary operations and cultivation. “Oakton is taking my career to the next level with the cannabis program. Over the next decade, cannabis is going to reach more people. And I want to be a part of what happens in that field, and extend my research in nutrition and health so I can extend the best information to my clients.”
While pursuing his education, A’mon also found his passion for performance prose while at Oakton as part of the Speech and Debate Team. “I just want to keep finding things that excite me, and learn more,” he says. “When I joined the team, I surrounded myself with people who are driven to achieve their goals, and I’ve grown tremendously. At Oakton, you get to see so many perspectives, so many different backgrounds. I’ve opened up to new ideas.”
In 2022, he won First Place in Poetry at the Illinois State Championship in Competitive Speech.