Take one look at Kaliyah’s 3.9 GPA, and you would never know that she once struggled with her studies. But, this inspiring Hogan Prep High School senior didn’t let anything hold her back, working hard to exceed her goals. And, she continues to do just that. She has her eye on University of Central Missouri — her dream school — and wants to pursue a career in family law.

What is something you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of finishing my junior year with all As and a 3.9 GPA.

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

When I was younger, my reading level and comprehension was not as good as my peers. Over summer breaks, my family helped me prepare for the next grade. We worked on my literature and mathematical understanding. Everyone around pushed me to overcome and overachieve my grade level — before I even started the school semester!

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

This program allows me to be able to focus more on selecting colleges that I like and gives me more opportunities to achieve my goals.

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

It is an inspiration and goal of mine to become a family lawyer. But, there are many consideration for that, so I wanted to be involved in the Girls on the Rise program to find what would be the best fit for me in college sooner rather than later.

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 funding is important to my journey because it gives me an understanding of what I would or wouldn’t like in college; it allows me to figure out what suits me best and to review what majors I’m interested in and what each college can offer.

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

My top schools I want to visit are University of Missouri Kansas City, Missouri State University and Washington University in St. Louis because these schools have top programs for physiology. They are also close to home which is very ideal for my first two years of college.