ANNIE OLLEN

Barnard College

Thisyear hasbeenfull of growthandtransitionasI continuemy career in educationontheVineyard I amstill workingasanEducational Support Professional (ESP)at theWest Tisbury School whereI assist middleschool studentsintheir mathclasses I begantheprocessof takingmy license examstobecomeamathteacher and hopetostart graduateschool inthe fall.Inadditiontosupportingstudentsintheclassroom,I amoneof the adult supervisorsof theStudent Council whichhelpstoorganize community serviceprojectsand school-wideevents I alsocoachedthe volleyball teamlast spring,and amassistinginthisyear?sschool theater productionof Matilda

Workingineducationinthesameschool andcommunity that raisedme hasbeenmorerewardingthanI could?veever imagined I feel sofortunate to havereceivedsuchanincredibleeducationasachild,whichwas integral for my successincollegeand beyond.I hopetobeabletocreate thesamepositiveimpact for thenext generationof Islandkids Buildinga career andalifeontheVineyardasayoungadult hasnot beeneasy with theincreasedcost of livingand housingshortage However,not havingthe burdenof undergraduatestudent debt hasallowedmeto start thisnext chapter exactly whereI want tobe- back at home.

MVYouth?scontinuedinvestment intheyoungpeopleonthisIslandallows kidslikemetokeepdreamingtoachievewhatever theyaspireto.This springwill mark eight yearssincemy family andI learned that I wouldbe oneof thefirst scholarshiprecipients,and witheachpassingyear my appreciation continuestogrow for theimpact thissupport hashad onthe trajectory of my life