Scholar Spotlight: DeAndrea
DeAndrea, a Breakthrough Atlanta student and high school junior, fondly recalls how Breakthrough Atlanta’s summer programming helped her get ahead in school.
“There was a lot of hands-on learning, a lot of visual learning, and a lot of things that people my age weren’t getting taught over the summer.”
DeAndrea says she also learned a lot from her teaching fellows and credits them with helping prepare her early on for what to expect in college.
“One thing I took away from the teaching fellows was that they really knew how to teach. They were all in college so they knew firsthand—right from memory— what I was going to be experiencing.”
After participating in Breakthrough’s summer programming throughout her middle school years, DeAndrea began taking full advantage of Breakthrough Atlanta’s college prep programs when she entered high school, including preparation classes for the SAT and other tests, and help with additional skills for college and beyond.
“Breakthrough Atlanta has helped me build and grow my skills with taking tests, filling out forms, public speaking; all of those things are important.”
Perhaps these skills have also helped DeAndrea in the numerous extracurricular activities she participates in at school and in the community.
“I’m involved in 13 clubs in my school,” she said.
With career aspirations to become an artist, DeAndrea wants to attend The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) or California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).
“I think I’ll go into animation or painting; something in visual and media arts,” she said.
DeAndrea will be the first member of her family to go to college.
DeAndrea was one of several students who performed with entertainer Chris Lee at Breakthrough Atlanta’s annual Fund-A-Scholar event in November. Chris is a former Breakthrough Atlanta student and cast member of Hamilton.