Meet Our Co-Op Student! Shayla Thompson

October 22, 2025

Meet Shayla Thompson, a co-op working in the human resources department for the 2025-2026 school year. A co-op, short for cooperative education, is an opportunity for high school students to earn practical,hands-on workplace experience prior to graduation.

Shayla is currently a senior at Western Hills High School in Frankfort. Upon graduating, she plans to attend the University of Kentucky and pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications.

We sat down with Shayla to talk about her role:

Why does higher education matter to you?

It helps someone succeed and help them reach their full potential. For me, it’ll help me better understand the career I want to pursue and help me become more familiar with that.

What skills / insights do you hope to gain while at CPE?

While being here, I hope to learn how a business operates and how to communicate professionally with others. Some skills I hope to gain during my time here are adaptability and problem-solving. I know these skills are essential for my future and I’m excited to apply them in real-world situations.

I understand you want to pursue communications. What specific field in communications and why? 

I would like to pursue media communication because I enjoy how people can share stories and ideas through things like tv, social media, and podcasts. I am excited to go into this career because it gives me the chance to connect with others and be creative. I find it intriguing how the media can change how people think and feel, and it makes me want to be a part of that.

When you think about college, what excites you the most and what’s something you’re nervous about?

When thinking about college I am most excited about exploring subjects and finding classes I am passionate about, though I am nervous about all the independence and transitioning to live on my own.

Fun fact about Shayla: She has two dogs, Athena and Paisley!