2008_scholars

2008 Schol ar s

Andr eaBr acket t Nor t hwes t er nHi ghSchool “ Forsomer eason,Ihavegonet hr ough manychal l engest hathavepushedmet o t heedge,butIi magi nenot hi ngl esst han gr eatt hi ngsi nmyf ut ur e.Myf at herhas t aughtmet oneverset t l ef ormedi ocr i t y ,so ev er ydayIr eachf ur t hert hanIdi dt heday bef or e.Myenvi r onmentandl i f eathome hasbeenmymot i vat i ont odoast oni shi ng t hi ngswi t hmyl i f e.Thi ngsar ef i nal l ygoi ng r i ghtandIt hankGodever ydayf orkeepi ng meher e.Iam soexci t edaboutt he oppor t uni t yofbecomi ngaTer r api n, ‘ f eart het ur t l e’ . ”

Jeanj ui l etAl am Fai r montHei ght sHi ghSc hool “ Iexpectt of aceanumberofchal l engesi n col l ege,suchasl ear ni ngdi f f i cul tmat er i al , i mpr ovi ngmyt i memanagementski l l s,and copi ngwi t hst r ess.However ,t hi si sat ask t hatImustcompl et ef ormyul t i mat egoali s t oear nmybachel or sdegr ee.Iknowmy sour ceofmot i vat i onwi l lcomef r om my f ami l ywhomeansal ott ome.Overt he pastf ewyear s,I ’ ver eal i zedj usthow i mpor t anti ti st out i l i zeal lt her esour ces ar oundyou.AsIembar kont hi snew j our ney ,Iam l ooki ngf or war dt omeet i ng newpeopl eandexpandi ngmyhor i zons. ”

Jomar i eTabl ang Nor t hwes t er nHi ghSchool “ I ti shumannat ur et ogr owupwi t h pr obl ems,buti ti supt ot heper sont o deci det hei rf at ei nl i f e.Thr oughdi f f i cul t ci r cumst ances,youcandevel opchar act er andl eader shi panduseyourdi sadvant ages t oyouradvant age.Wheneverpr obl ems

havet r i edt oconsumeme,Ihaveusedt hat asaf uelt oconsumemysel fwi t hl ear ni ng.

Sc hooli sapassi onofmi neandapor t alt o oppor t uni t i es.I nt hef ut ur e,Iseemysel f hel pi nghundr edsandt housandsofpeopl e ev er ydayf ol l owi ngmyi nt er esti nsci ence andbecomi ngadoct or . �

Oct avi aSykes Bal t i mor ePol yt echni cI nst i t ut e “ Foral ongt i meIhavef el tasi fIwer ea passengerofmyownl i f e;al waysgi vi ngi n, al wayspassedbyandover .However ,I haver ef usedt obeapassengerofmyl i f e.

Now,Iam t henavi gat or ,t hedr i vi ngf or ceof myexi st ence.Iconsi dermysel ft obea t r endset t erandIam noteasi l yswal l owed

bypr obl emsbecauseIknowt hati fIam not r es i l i entandst r ong,Icannotr eachmy goal s.I ndeed,Imayst i l lr uni nt oobst acl es,

butl i f ehasgi venmet het ool st of acet hem.

Ec cent r i c,ser i ous,andt hankf ulI ,Oct avi a Sy kes,f eeldeser vi ngoft hi soppor t uni t y . �

Char mai neSl ade EdmondsonWest si de Hi ghSchool “ Bet weenmyr i gor ouswor kl oadand i nv ol vementi nhi ghschoolandt aki ngcar e ofsever alr esponsi bi l i t i esathome,i thas seemedl i keI ’ vehadnot i met oenj oywhat ot her scal lt hei r“ wonderyear s” .Yes,t hi s hast akenal otoft i mef r om myschedul e, buti ti sgr eatt oknowIam maki nga di f f er encei nt hel i vesoft hosepeopl ewho havehel pedmet obecomet heper son t hatIam t oday .Goi ngt ocol l egei smor e t hanj ustget t i nganeducat i on;i ti sf i nal l y bei ngr ewar dedf orpr evai l i ngt hr ough year sandyear sofst r uggl eandnever gi v i nguphope. ”

Dj uanShor t Pot omacHi ghSc hool “ Ther ear emanyt hi ngst hatcandef i nea l eadert hatdoesnoti ncl udeschool ,wor k, andat hl et i cs.I ti sgoi ngaboveandbeyond al l expect at i onst omakesur et hat

ev er yt hi ngyoucommi tt owi l lbeasuccess.

Themai nl essont hatIt r yt ot eachot her si s t hatyouwi l lbej udgedbyt hewayyou por t r ayyour sel f .Bei ngal eaderi nal lar eas ofl i f emeansal l owi ngpeopl et oseeyour f l awsandl et t i ngt hem knowt hati t ’ sokayt o st r i vef ort hebr i ght estst ar .Il ear nedal ong t i meagosomel eader sevol veandt heyar e bor nwi t hsomet hi ngspeci al .Ibel i eveIam oneoft hosepeopl ewhoi sdest i ned t ol ead. ”

Laur enRobi nson West er nHi ghSchool “ Ienvi si onmyl i f ef ul lofsuccessand endl esspossi bi l i t i es.Chal l engeswi l lbe i nevi t abl ef ort heyar i semanyt i mesi nl i f e.

However ,i ti showonebat t l est hr ought hei r

chal l engeswhi chdet er mi nest hei rchar act er

andsuccess.I ’ venowl ear nedt hatst r uggl es onl ycomet omakeusst r onger .Thankf ul l y , t hi schapt erofst r uggl ef ormei sonl ya vaguememor yover shadowedbyhope, det er mi nat i on,st r engt handpur pose.I ’ ve r eal i zedt hatnomat t erwhatci r cumst ance Iam f acedwi t h,Godwi l lbet her et osuppl y ev er yl astoneofmyneeds.Todayand al ways,Ichooseme.Ichoosef r eedom.

Ic hooser ebi r t h.Ichoosel i f e. ”

Cami l l eNeysmi t h For estPar kHi ghSchool “ Is t r ongl ybel i evet hatever yt hi ngi nl i f e happensf orar eason.Iam nother eby chanceorbyacci dent ,butIam her et o makeadi f f er ence.Godhasbl essedme t husf arandhecont i nuest obl essmei n

ev er yt hi ngIdo.Iam commi t t edt oachi evi ng ex cel l enceandnomat t erwhat ,Iwi l lnever

gi v eup.Iknowt her ei ssomet hi ngbet t erf or meoutt her eandIam det er mi nedt ogeti t .

ForIbel i eveyoucanwor kt hr oughany si t uat i oni nl i f e,youj usthavet obef ocused anddet er mi ned. �

Ki oshaMur phy Cent r alHi ghSchool “ Iam ast r ongl eaderandwhenaskedt o per f or m at ask,whet heri ndi vi dual l yorwi t h agr oup,Iexecut e.Ihavet heconf i dence, wi t ,i nt el l i genceandchar mt hathave shapedmyl eader shi pabi l i t i es.Toachi eve mygoal s,Ipl ant out i l i zeal lofmyexper i encesandachi evement st ohavet hemost pr oduct i vef ut ur eobt ai nabl e.I nl i f e,Ihave l ear nedt hati fyouputi nl i t t l et onoef f or t ,

t hanl i t t l et onot hi ngi swhatyouwi l lr ecei ve.

Forme,adver si t yi sawor dt hatIdonot hearof t enbecauseIchoosenott ousei t .

I ns t ead,Ical lmyexper i encesuni que addi t i onst omyl i f est or y . �

Ki mber l yJor dan Mer gent hal erVocat i onal T echni calHi ghSchool “ Ibel i evemyf ut ur ei sf ul lofpr omi ses.I

envi si ont hatIwi l ldomor et hananyonehas ev erexpect edofme.Iexhi bi tl eader shi pas muchasIcanf orIknowi ti sbet t ert ol ead t hant of ol l ow.I ti smygoalt ot r yt omake posi t i vechangesi nl i f et hatwi l li mpactt he

wor l d.Il ovet ogi veal endi nghandt oot her s becausei tonl ymakesmeabet t erper son.

Ihaveadr eam ofbecomi ngacer t i f i ed nur semi dwi f eandIwi l lnotgi veupunt i lI maket hi sdr eam ar eal i t y . �

Lamar aJohnson Sui t l andHi ghSchool “ Iam mot i vat edt of ul l yl i veever yday becauseIwantt oshowot herpeopl et hat nomat t erhowt r aumat i zi ngasi t uat i onmay be,onemayst i l lover comei tand ac compl i shal lt hegoal st heysetf or t hemsel ves.Myf ami l yhast aughtmea numberofl essons,butonei npar t i cul ar hasmol dedmei nt ot heyoungl adyt hat Iam t oday ,whi chi st or eachoutt ot hose

i nneed.Tome,l eader shi pmeansassumi ng t her ol eoft aki ngchar geandbei ngabl et o handl et her esponsi bi l i t i est hatar egi ven.

Par tofr eachi ngoutandbei ngar ol emodel wi l lr equi r emet oembr acet hi ski ndof l eader shi p. �

RachelJackson Bal t i mor ePol yt echni cI nst i t ut e “ Il i ket ot hi nkofmysel fasaposi t i ve, det er mi ned,andopt i mi st i cper son,whi ch hel pscr eat egat ewaysofoppor t uni t yf or mysel fandal l owsmet omaket hebestof cer t ai nsi t uat i ons.Bei ngout goi ngand f r i endl yr eal l ygi vesmet heabi l i t yt omeet newpeopl eandt r ynewt hi ngs.Idef i ni t el y

pl aceahi ghval ueonmyf ami l yandf r i ends.

Knowi ngt hatIcanmakeaposi t i vei mpact onot her si sasour ceofmymot i vat i onand

whatIst r i vet oaccompl i shi nl i f e.Tobeabl e t omakesomeone’ sdaybr i ght erar e moment st hatIcher i shf or ever ! ”

AmyHume Di gi t alHar borHi ghSchool “ Col l egewi l lbeawhol enewenvi r onment

wi t hmanydi f f er entpeopl eandexper i ences.

Thoughi twi l lseem di f f i cul tbei ng i ndependent ,Iknowt hatIwi l lover come.

Whi l el i vi ngi nSout hBal t i mor e,Ihaveseen manypeopl et hr owt hei rl i vesaway .My whol el i f eI ’ vewat chedpeopl eal lar ound mesl i pandi tmakesmewantt ohol don t i ght .Thi shast aughtmet hatl i f ei st oo shor tandi nspi r edmet osetgoal sf or mysel f .Ihavewor kedhar datever yt hi ng

I ’ vedone,sot hatIcanenj oyt hel i t t l et hi ngs i nl i f e,whi chIhol dcl osestt omyhear t . ”

Chemi aHughes West er nHi ghSchool “ Wi t hgr eatpr i vi l egecomesgr eat r es ponsi bi l i t y .So,Il i vebyt hemant r aof “ wor khar d,pl ayhar d” .Iknowt hatIam a l eaderandoneoft her easonswhyIenj oy t hi sposi t i onofi nf l uencei sbecausei tgi ves meachancet ogui det hosewhoneedhel p andmaket hem f eelmor ecomf or t abl ei na newset t i ng.WhenIl ookatt het hi ngst hat I ’ vegonet hr ough,Iknowi thasmademe as t r ongerper son.I thast aughtmet o nevert aket hi ngsf orgr ant edandt okeep myheadupt ost andal landcomebackf or mor e.Mor ei mpor t ant l y ,i thast aughtme t hatnomat t erwhathappens,Don’ tQui t ! ”