Avery V. graduates in May 2022 from Shawnee Mission North High School in Kansas City, Kansas, and she’s planning to attend Baker College in Michigan. This Girl on the Rise wants to major in business or math, because those majors open the doors for a lot of different jobs.

What is something you are most proud of?

I am really proud of receiving my Give Something Back scholarship.

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

Nope, I haven’t really had any super-tough times.

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

It means that I am one step closer to my college goal.

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

I wanted to be involved with Girls on the Rise, because I know college is very expensive.

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?

The funding will help me reach my goals by allowing me to have less debt while still being able to visit schools.

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

I will visit Baker because that is the college I am planning to attend to next year.