It’s been four years since I walked out of the barn as a graduated (HS)2 scholar and I still consider it the best experience I’ve ever had. The connections I’ve made with other scholars, the faculty, and the staff at Colorado Rocky Mountain School are as strong as they’ve ever been and I still reap the rewards from the skills I honed while there.
I am a first-generation college student, which can be really overwhelming, but my time during the (HS)2 Program gave me immense courage to face challenges head-on, to try new things, and to never be afraid to ask for help. I studied abroad this past summer in Senegal, and as the only person in my family to ever leave the country, I was terrified. My experiences with the (HS)2 Program, and the anxiety I felt preparing for it, came flooding back to me. I was heading somewhere different and way out of my comfort zone, but this wasn’t the first time – 15-year-old Shannon did the same thing when she hopped on a plane for the first time to Carbondale, Colorado and if she could do it, then so could I, this time to Senegal.
After being awarded the Posse Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarship, I am now in my senior year at Tulane University where I will walk across the stage this May with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health. I plan on heading to graduate school for Tropical Medicine and eventually going abroad to aid in the prevention and treatment of neglected tropical diseases. Coming from a failing school system in New Orleans, the (HS)2 Program was my only experience with academic rigor. It was those summers learning Chemistry, Calculus, and Physics, staying up late doing homework and studying, and participating in sports and artistic activities that truly prepared me for Tulane and my career choice. I am grateful and humbled that I was allowed to have this opportunity as it truly did change the course of my life. If I could do it a thousand more times, I would with no hesitation.
reprinted from the 2017 Annual Report