Trameka Pope, an 18-year-old student from Chicago, has overcome several challenges. When she was in elementary school, she and her mother lost their homes. She fell pregnant in the eighth grade and gave birth in the ninth. Nevertheless, she graduated first in her class and was named Wendell Phillips Academy High School’s valedictorian.
“I always said that I wanted to make change and be in the history books, and I started with myself,” she told Fox 32.
Pope added, “I didn’t give up. I pushed myself hard. And my baby motivated me every day because I wanted to provide for her, and I also didn’t want to be a statistic.”
Pope has received over $600,000 in scholarships and has been admitted to over 25 institutions. This fall, she intends to enrol at Western Illinois University to pursue a PhD in social work.
Pope didn’t just do well in the classroom. She participated in several extracurricular activities, including cheerleading and membership in the National Honour Society. She even worked part-time at a nearby supermarket.
Pope attributes her achievement to her social worker, Dawn Jackson, the counsellors at her school, and a special non-profit organisation called SGA Youth and Family Services. SGA enables Chicago’s youth, families, and communities to understand their potential and find fresh routes to achievement despite facing significant obstacles and having few resources. The company has a proven track record.
“No matter what background you come from, it doesn’t matter if you have a child as a teen; no matter what people say about you, you still can, you can make it, and you can become something,” said Jackson.
