shayla

I've never met Shayla. She lives in Florida, and is the great-granddaughter of Elaine, my mother's lifetime best friend.

Shayla's young mom is white and Jewish; her dad is black. Shayla grew up mostly with her great-grandmother and mom. Her dad was in the picture when Shayla was young, but less so as she grew older.

Years ago I must have mentioned to my mom, who passed it on to Elaine, that if Shayla needs help with college applications she should call me. Shayla is now 17, and a high school junior.  Last October, Shayla calls. Her grace, drive, and attitude win me over within the first few minutes of our conversation; I offer to help.

Shayla's first essay skims over her hardships. In the important ways, Shayla is blessed. She has a loving family. She grew up in a beautiful home. She has many friends. She is number three in her class, and President of the National Honor Society. But when Shayla was 14, Elaine died. Soon after, Shayla and her mom are forced to move to a much smaller home where Shayla must start a new high school. Then, Shayla's mom gives birth to a baby girl. Like everything else in her life, Shayla fully commits to her new responsibilities as a big sister. This involves babysitting most days after school while her mom works. I'm sure this would not be the first choice activity for a teen-aged girl with lots of friends.

Shayla is the ideal student. Over the next few months, we work together remotely. Appreciative of my suggestions, Shayla thinks about them, then incorporates the ones she agrees with, and explains why she's not incorporating others. She is always prepared and keenly aware of deadlines. This is a girl who gets things done, and gets them done on time. Her work ethic is refreshing.

It upsets me that guidance counselors don't advise students the way they should, particularly in less affluent neighborhoods.  It really is up to the student to do the research and know what is due when, and what resources are available. That's a lot to ask of a teen.

I tell Shayla about a program called QuestBridge. It's for high-achieving, low-income students.  I encourage Shayla to apply for QuestBridge's College Prep Scholarship; she does.

Last night, around 10, I see a caller ID pop up on my TV (love that feature) with an area code I don't recognize. I'm tempted to ignore it, thinking it's another roto call about some new electricity plan that will save me lots of money. But something compels me to answer, and it's Shayla. She won a QB scholarship. She's excited and grateful. I am thrilled for her. This is just one more accomplishment for a really deserving girl; I know there'll be more to come.