Featured Student . . .

Unlike many high school students her age, Megan Southward already has a different perspective on living in Oregon. Megan grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and lived with her grandparents for five years while her parents took care of her little brother after having heart surgery. She describes the people here as “different” and misses her native state. After high school, she wants to return to Florida to attend the University of Miami to study accounting and finances.

She credits Willamette Academy with helping her focus on a path toward a career and find a school compatible with her future goals.

Megan stays so busy with school that she has little time to devote to anything else. She is involved in many activities that reflect her ambition to become an accountant and eventually maybe a Chief Financial Officer of a major company. She learns about leadership as a member of the LINK crew, explores business management as part of DECA, and participates in the National Honor Society.

What may strike you about Megan right away is her modesty. When asked what she would buy if she won the lottery, Megan’s response was “I already have everything I need.” She would instead use the money to help her grandpa and pay for her education.

Megan became a part of Willamette Academy after her mother pressured her to join. But now that she has been a part of the program, she has little regret about signing up. She credits Willamette Academy with helping her focus on a path toward a career and find a school compatible with her future goals. She advises incoming students to take their education and Willamette Academy seriously so that they will have a solid foundation on which to build their future.

Welcome

Willamette Academy at Willamette University is a college access program committed to empowering youth who have the desire and potential to advance to higher education, targeting those who are historically under-represented at colleges and universities in the United States. Willamette Academy is a supplemental education program in which ethnically diverse students are challenged and inspired to enhance their critical thinking skills, see themselves as leaders in their community, and develop a love of learning. Our hope is that through cooperative efforts with families and public schools, Willamette Academy students will develop a stronger foundation on which to build their future.

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