Kayana Higgs poses at West Chester University

By the time Kayana Higgs graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School’s Environmental Technology Academy in 2001, she had already overcome major obstacles to achieve success. During her freshman year, she learned that her mother had tested HIV-positive. Over the next two years, Kayana’s attendance, grades and behavior suffered, leaving her frustrated and discouraged. Rather than commuting across town to Lincoln for her junior year, she decided to attend a high school closer to home.

Kayana earned good grades at the new school, but sorely missed the academic challenge of the Academy program. Two months into her junior year, she connected with one of her former teachers, James Kennedy, who encouraged her to return to Lincoln – but only if she could promise to work hard and set ambitious goals for her future. Kayana promised. In the Environmental Technology Academy, she felt she was back with family – people who cared about what she accomplished – and she made Honor Roll.

Although her mother died in her junior year, Kayana continued to work with Mr. Kennedy to attain her dream of attending college. Following graduation, she enrolled at West Chester University, and in her first semester earned a GPA of 3.5. She began working part-time in the financial aid office, where she earned such respect that her supervisor increased her hours, raised her pay and put her in charge of a new minority outreach program.