Jalen Burston is from Central Dauphin High School and was nominated by Angela Bell. Central Dauphin High School was Jalen’s third high school From the time he arrived he exuded determination and growth in his scholastic endeavors. During his Junior year, Jalen experienced the death of his mother, after a long and difficult battle with breast cancer. Despite this tragic loss, Jalen continued to be self-aware, motivated and independent, continuing his academic excellence.
Jalen will be attending West Chester University this fall.
Angela Bell says of Jalen, “Jalen is driven by the need to persevere and worked tirelessly toward his goal of attending a post-secondary institution after graduation.”
Mackenzie was always a bright, hard-working student. She took her school work seriously and earned high grades. On paper, you would never realize she experienced one of the most heart breaking experiences imaginable during the summer of 2019. Mackenzie is the youngest of 3 children in her family. In the summer of 2019, she lost her oldest brother in a car accident. Although Mackenzie could have had every excuse to put on the breaks, she persevered through her junior year of high school and maintained distinguish honor roll. She enrolled at HACC as a dual enrollment student her senior year. Mackenzie worked on top of taking a full-time schedule at HACC. And, if she was not in class at HACC, she was working at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Mackenzie plans to continue her education at HACC until she transfers to a 4-year college.
Carole says of Mackenzie, “Mackenzie takes pride in her education and should be really proud of all of her accomplishments!”
Rewath faced many challenges and adversity through his lifetime. He came to America when he was seven years old from Nepal in 2010 speaking no English. He had to learn English through our district’s ELL program in elementary school. He started high school in regular level courses not even knowing what an advanced placement or honors level course was, but then after his freshmen year challenged himself to take Honors level and AP courses throughout all of his subjects. Rewath has excelled academically in these courses despite only becoming proficient in English a few years earlier. Rewath had to face a lot of bullying through his early and middle school years. He just came out to his family and his mother has not be very supportive of his life choice. He remains authentic to who he is. He worked hard at school and his part time job to make a better life for himself.
Rewath plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh where he would like to major in Physician’s Assistance. He grew up In Nepal at a very young age witnessing the poor healthcare and wants to help others by giving back. His ultimate goal is go back to Nepal one day and volunteer his healthcare services in those poor, rural areas that need assistance.
Alicia says of Rewath, “Rewath Is a stand out among peers and teachers for his kindness, perseverance, hard work, sense of humor, and willingness to be himself at all times.”
Heather struggled in high school with anorexia. She also became pregnant and had a daughter while in high school. Heather was able to overcome these obstacles through family support and by attending therapy classes for a year. She learned through therapy to think positive thoughts and not lose focus on her education because it would be important for her years to come. She overcame two challenging obstacles that could’ve prevented her from attending school, but she was able to persevere through the struggle of anorexia and pregnancy to obtain a grade point average of 4.27 and receive the honor as one of The Patriot News-Penn Live Best & Brightest in the Class of 2021 ..
Heather was a dual enrolled student in the Harrisburg School District attending both Cougar Academy and Harrisburg Area Community College ( HACC}. Her aspirations are to continue her education at HACC, graduate with her Associates Degree in 2022 and apply to Penn State Capital Campus, Middletown, PA or York College to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
Valerie says of Heather, “Heather is a student that demonstrates leadership and great communication skills. She knows her strengths and weaknesses yet she exudes confidence. Heather is focused and compassionate towards others.”
Nathan experienced the death of his mother in August 2020 before school started. He does not have a father in his life. Nathan’s extended family stepped in to support him. He took college classes at HACC his senior year and played varsity basketball and baseball. Nathan spoke very fondly of his mother at the banquet. He was very close to her and losing her was very difficult, but he persevered.
Nathan plans on attending Millersville University in the Fall to pursue a degree in business.
Sam says of Nathan, “Nathan continues to treat people right. It’s like nothing changed for him although I know he misses her (his mother).”
Congratulations and Good Luck, Nathan!
Alexandrea suffered through high school with numerous medical issues and missed much of her freshman year due to illness. This continued throughout her high school career due to complications and intolerable pain. Alexandrea chose to persevere and continued going to school when she could and doing work at home when she couldn’t come to school. She relied heavily on her supportive family, friends, teachers and school community. She also started seeing a counselor to help her learn comping strategies to deal with her struggles. Despite her constant challenges, Alexandrea was able to complete high school and graduate.
Alexandrea plans on attending HACC in the Fall to begin studying to be a funeral director. Her ultimate dream job is to become a commissioned artist.
Amy says of Alexandrea, “Alexandrea is always willing to help others and show kindness. I truly believe her struggles continue to make her a stronger, more resilient person. She is determined to achieve her goals.”
Chunyu began high school at Susquehanna when she arrived in the U.S from China. She spoke no English at all, but through her own dedication and work ethic earned straight As for all her classes her first semester. She was extremely diligent, neatly translating every word that she did not know onto her little notebooks each day. Chunyu was very timid and fearful of being targeted by bullies because of her language limitation. However, she quickly stepped out of her fear and eventually made a lot of new friends. She participated in the fashion program and showcased her creations at the fashion shows. She was inducted into the HSA.
Throughout these four years, she was also the main caregiver of her two siblings because her parents work late into the night in a restaurant. Chunyu cooked for her younger sister and brother, tutored them and read to them. As the most fluent English speaker at home, her entire family depended on her to handle the English world outside.
Chunyu plans to attend a collee to study data science or statistics.
Beth says of Chunyu, “I believe that Chunyu has overcome many obstacles with grace and determination. She is highly deserving of this award.”
Maurice endured a tough home life which caused him to act out in school and in the community. He struggled academically and socially in school and in the community. His grades suffered and he found himself first in the school district alternative school and then in the Juvenile Justice System. He spend spent several years in juvenile placement from 8th grade to 11 grade. Maurice returned to Steelton-Highspire in November of 2019. He came back a more mature, focused young man. His attitude and demeanor became positive and he was willing to work with his teachers to make sure he did well in his classes. He was more focused on his academics and participating in extracurricular activities and became a positive role model for our younger students.
Maurice plans on attending Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology to learn a trade. His ultimate goal is to have his own business.
Willie says of Maurice, “Maurice was in danger of becoming a statistic. Instead he has become a success story. We are very proud of him and the young man he has become.”
Beth says of Chunyu, “I believe that Chunyu has overcome many obstacles with grace and determination. She is highly deserving of this award.”
Dhvani plans to major in computer science in her post secondary school. She hasn’t picked a school at this point, but is excited about her choices.
Kim says of Dhvani, “Dhvani such a wonderful young lady. She always has a smile on her face, even though she has faced many challenges. She has a fun andlight personality and reacts well to set backs. She has a very kind heart and will benefit greatly from this scholarship.”
Alexis never thought she could attend college, but she has applied to HACC for this fall and is very excited.
Lori says of Alexis, “She is an exceptionally kind and personable young woman who has come out of her shell and blossomed with confidence since starting school here. Alexis has made friends and stands up for students who can’t or won’t stand up for themselves.”
Gyles experienced a period of racial injustice while in high school and chose to rise above it. He approached the situation with maturity and reported the issue through his parents who informed the school.
Gyles plans on attending Full Sail University in the Fall for music recording.
Sam says of Gyles, “Gyles deserves this!”
MJS ACHIEVEMENT FOUNDATION
The MJS Achievement Foundation’s mission is to provide economic assistance to high school students who are attempting to become productive, self-sufficient members of society.
