Ward 8 scholar Vanity’s mom first connected her to Higher Achievement as an extracurricular activity that focused on education. At Higher Achievement, Vanity found not only the opportunity to build upon her academic talents but also to participate in a variety of fun and engaging activities.
“When I think about Higher Achievement, I think about how much fun we have,” says Vanity. “We get to go on field trips, and during our community meetings we do trivia games, chants, and skits.”
As a 7th-grader, Vanity and her peers at Higher Achievement spent the year thinking about their futures and options for high school and beyond. “One of the most helpful things I’ve done here is plan for high school,” says Vanity. “I got to check out a lot of schools and research where they were, what AP classes they offered, and what extracurriculars we could join.” Outside of school, Vanity enjoys spending time with family, dancing, and sports, and she looks forward to the possibility of participating in swimming, soccer, or baseball in high school.
In addition to high school research, Vanity appreciates the opportunity to work with a mentor each week. At Higher Achievement, mentoring is a time for scholars to practice critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills. “Recently we practiced writing to city officials about a problem we see in our community,” says Vanity. “My mentor helps me get my work done and have fun doing it. Mentoring also helps us with goal setting and planning for the future.”
Vanity already has a plan for her future after high school. “My mom has her bachelor’s degree in law enforcement, so I’d like to become a lawyer, or a vet,” says Vanity. She is positioning herself for a bright future and is proud of what she has accomplished so far. “I have the second highest GPA in the 7th grade, and I just got a 4.3 GPA in my progress report,” attests Vanity.
Higher Achievement scholars like Vanity are bright and driven, and it is our privilege to offer them a platform to build upon and gain confidence in their innate strengths.