Although she is just a junior at Glenbard West High School in Illinois, April B. is already thinking ahead to not just her bachelor’s degree, but also a further pursuit toward her master’s or Ph.D. This Girl on the Rise wants to work in the medical field — perhaps as a mortician or a forensic pathologist.

What is something you are most proud of?

Whenever my friends have something going on in their lives, they trust me enough to come to me to talk. I am very happy and proud that they feel comfortable to express their not-so-great emotions around me.

Have you gone through any tough or challenging times? If yes, how did you deal with those challenges?

Yes, in seventh grade, my grandfather passed away. It was really challenging for me to cope, and I found peace through reading and playing music. Since then, I have continued my love for music and reading and I believe that they both played a crucial part of my mourning process.

What does it mean to you to be selected as a Girl on the Rise?

It makes me very happy as it will allow me to see even more colleges than I would have normally been able to visit. It is also allowing me to have a SAT tutor which will help immensely with my confidence in taking the exam.

What inspired you to want to be involved with Girls on the Rise?

I was inspired by the chance to grow as a woman and meet other girls my age who also have big dreams they want to achieve.

How will funding from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals? In other words: Why is the opportunity to visit your prospective colleges important to your journey?

This will allow me to see more colleges and narrow down where I am applying while also giving me the opportunity to have a SAT/ACT tutor.

What schools will you use the funding to visit, and why?

I will use the funding to visit Clemson University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as those are the two furthest colleges from where I live. These campuses would be hard to visit without the funds, so this will definitely help me see colleges I am really interested in.