Age: 19
School: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
On November 18th, 1998 at 5:30 a.m. I was born to Denise Blanco. Due to my mother’s ill health, I was placed in foster care and given to Mary Beamon, a very trusted family friend. I had lived with her until I was three years old. Sadly, she battled diabetes for years and passed. The Wilkins family next door, whom I was very close with, took me in and at 6 years old, they officially adopted me. I believe that being accepted into the family was destiny.
My adoptive mother’s side of the family was into the arts. My grandfather is a pianist and a musical director for shows on Broadway. My grandmother is an actress and vocalist. My biological grandfather played the harp in the Symphony Orchestra while my grandmother was a Radio City Rockette. What’s perfect about the situation is that my grandma, the actress, gave me acting lessons while my grandpa gave me piano lessons. It’s ironic to me that I received my natural abilities from my biological family but I honed and crafted my skills with my adoptive family. I guess that’s how destiny works. Thereís already a plan mapped out for all of us and we must work hard to get there.
I am a proud product of the Trey Whitfield School. When tested for admission, my reading and math scores were two grade levels below. After three years of hard work I was retested and gained admission at grade level. At TWS I was challenged yet supported in a loving environment. After two years of receiving a rigorous education, I was accepted into one of the top junior high schools in Brooklyn – Mark Twain. TWS has provided me with a solid foundation and the building blocks to be successful in my life ahead.