Making the decision to attend Cleveland Early College High School was a difficult one, but probably one of the best I have ever made. The January before attending CECHS, I lost my father and was very uneasy about going to a school where I did not know anybody. Little did I know the decision to come to the Early College would provide me with a huge support system. After dealing with the heartache and grief that I did, the family-like community at CECHS brought me back up on my feet and propelled me towards a bright academic future. I was given the opportunity to complete my Associates without my family having to struggle to find the finances. While that aspect was nice, taking college courses as a freshman was still a terrifying thought, not to mention my long history of procrastination skills.

Through the help and support of my peers working together, teachers with exceptional teaching styles and care for their students’ education, and a community college with easily accessible academic resources, I excelled! I am definitely not the smartest person in my cohort, but programs in both Early College and Cleveland Community College made it possible for me to push myself through hard work and dedication into the valedictorian slot of the CECHS Class of 2019.