Regaining Hope

Graduation time is here! It’s when all the hard work and determination students have shown through their matriculation will pay off. Especially for high school students, graduation signifies a huge step on their journey to adulthood.

This step is extremely important to Jim Hill High School student Kaitlyn Taylor. Kaitlyn is one of our graduating seniors from the Ambassadors program. As college application time drew near, Kaitlyn became nervous about her options or rather feared she wouldn’t have any. “Looking at what my classmates were doing, I did not think I had done all I could. I did not have the same scores as other people. But I knew I was trying,” Kaitlyn said.

In fact, Kaitlyn had become so discouraged, she convinced herself not to apply to the colleges on her list. But during an Ambassador session, that decision changed. “After talking to Amber, Jed and Anthony (Ambassadors Program Leads), I regained hope. They re-energized my inner drive and I decided to put in my applications.”

Not only was Kaitlyn accepted to all the schools she chose–Fisk, Dillard and Tougaloo–, she also received a full academic scholarship to Dillard! Although she’s still weighing her options on which school to attend, Kaitlyn plans to double major in history and English with hopes of attending Vanderbilt Law School and becoming a civil rights attorney.

“Being in the Ambassadors Program, I have learned a lot about Mississippi and I am more aware of the issues we are facing,” she explained. The program sparked Kaitlyn’s interest in helping people who are not able to have a voice for themselves. Above all, Kaitlyn says getting to know yourself better has been her biggest accomplishments as an Ambassador.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn and all our graduating Ambassadors. We are excited to see how the impressive leadership skills our Ambassadors have developed will carry them throughout any challenges life will bring.