Arianna (Sociology, Boston College)

Arianna’s AP History teacher at Democracy Prep Harlem High wrote this about her: “Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia at birth, Arianna often suffers from fatigue and dizziness. While others might allow this diagnosis to define their life, Arianna has used this to become a motivated, versatile and genuine scholar as well as one of the most academically successful students in our school’s history. Her grit and work ethic surpass anything I have seen in a student in my seven years of teaching.” In her own essay, Arianna wrote: “I feel that I was born with two choices: to let what I cannot control confine me to boundaries others have set for me, or to challenge those restrictions and be the best me possible. Every morning that I wake up I aim to be better than the person I was yesterday, and to walk with my head held high.” With an eventual aim of becoming a psychotherapist, Arianna’s next step will be enrollment at Boston College.