School: Carver Academy
Site Coordinator: Mary Thompson
Future Plans: Coast Guard
A lifelong Chesterfield student, Breyanka has attended Carver Academy since the 9th grade. Since she was 16, Breyanka has worked multiple jobs every year on top of being a full time high school student. Her busy work schedule and instability at home, exacerbated by the pandemic, made regular attendance and academic achievement feel impossible until she was paired with CIS Site Coordinator Mary Thompson. For Breyanka, Mary was the “only person” who could put themselves in Breyanka’s shoes. Together, they set goals to improve Breyanka’s behavior, attendance and academic performance. Ms. Thompson would often conduct home visits and offer supportive counseling; in Breyanka’s words, Ms. Thompson went “above and beyond ” to support her at Carver. Breyanka was also able to receive writing support to help her succeed academically. She reflected that Carver was the best school she could have attended, especially with the addition of Ms. Thompson’s supportive presence and intensive case-management.
Breyanka will be joining the Coast Guard after graduation, and is “excited and nervous to see what the future holds.” We cannot wait to see what she accomplishes!