Serenity

“The Honors Program gave me the tools I needed to get myself into an amazing four-year college with an unbelievable amount of scholarship money.”

Serenity on the Honors Program

I was a disaster in high school. I barely graduated and had no desire to go to college. I spent the next seven years working in restaurants, waiting tables or working in the kitchen until 2:00 am, and I told myself I was happy. I was an aspiring ballet dancer, and with more than seventeen years of professional training under my belt, I figured I had a shot. But my life was becoming a series of missed opportunities. At the age of 24, I found myself homeless and pregnant. I knew I had to do something, so I started school. My plan was to get in, get out, and get on with my life. Highline was supposed to be a stepping stone to a four-year school, but what I found there, through the Honors Program, was so much more.

Barbara, the TA’s, and the other students in the program helped me find the courage to tell my story, and the confidence to believe that a single mom didn’t have to settle for anything less than amazing. Yes, it was challenging, but Barbara helped guide me to a place I didn’t know I could get to. The Honors Program gave me the tools I needed to get myself into an amazing four-year college with an unbelievable amount of scholarship money. And the challenges I’ll face are challenges I feel well prepared for. As I begin the next step in my journey at Smith College, I know that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Highline and the Honors Program.

When I took Honors 100 in the winter of 2009, Barbara said something to the class that I will never forget. She said, “When people give you opportunities, take them!” That is probably the best advice I’ve ever been given.