JeShawn’s Story

“When I was 16, I was sitting on the porch at my house. I remember the weather being perfect. However, what was a perfect evening turned into a near-death experience”

I first learned about RISE when Mr. Penniman came to my high school, Ballou, to start a lunchtime MATHletes program. The program was fun and enabled me to learn more about RISE. The following summer, I was able, through RISE, to accelerate my math studies and prepare to study calculus my senior year.

When I was 16, I was sitting on the porch at my house. I remember the weather being perfect. However, what was a perfect evening turned into a near-death experience. Where sitting on my porch turned into being caught in a drive by shooting and getting shot in my leg not knowing if I would be able to walk again. During those moments I thought to myself how could a person who doesn’t do anything to people get shot just sitting on his porch. A lot changed after September 16, like sitting on my porch, I haven’t set on my porch since that day because anytime I come home I see the bullet holes on the house and it brings back memories of the day. At moments like that even medicine couldn’t numb the painful thoughts and everyday having to deal with the pain from the bullet fragments in my leg.

In my final months of high school, I have thought deeply about my career path. I want to major in chemistry and make medicine that saves lives. Because of science and medicine, people living in all communities, including distressed neighborhoods like the one I currently live in, can recover from some of the most unexpected life-threatening events. Becoming a pharmaceutical scientist is an ambitious goal and will require hard work.

While in High school I continue to push myself hard when my community tries to push me off. I continue to strive for higher purpose and better opportunity, such as getting accepted into the dual enrollment program where I will be at American University where I was chosen to study child education for a semester. I chose the option of Child Education even though it isn’t the major I do not want to do. I took it up to show that I am able to handle the work and the challenge of taking a college class while in High School. Also I have pushed myself harder by taking the role as the mentor for the younger youth in my community, showing them that you don’t have to just settle for where you’re at but expand your horizon to different places and things outside of where you come from.

College is important to me and will offer an escape from the violence and poverty that plagues my community. However, College will also allow me to use my circumstances and experience to add to a diverse learning environment at any college or university across the country.