Miyanna, a junior at CICS ChicagoQuest, wants to be a nurse and help others through this profession. That means she’s planning on studying nursing and social work — hopefully at her dream college: UCLA. But, this Girl on the Rise will be visiting some of her other top-pick schools to find just the right place for her.

What is something you are most proud of?

I’m proud of my mom because she’s always here to support me through anything and I look up to her because she has a master’s degree in social work. She’s my inspiration and motivation.

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

My freshman year was my first time taking Spanish and it was so hard. But, I got through it by trying my best and I got the highest grade in the class.

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

It means a lot to me because I can actually go on campus grounds and visualize what it would be like as a college student.

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

I wanted something to help me learn more about college and experience what college is really about.

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?

Not everyone is fortunate to have the opportunity to go to college, much less visit them, due to financial barriers. It is important to me so I can better prepare for realistic goals, expectations, and costs of tuition, and budget appropriately to be successful and less tense.

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

University of Central Florida, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Iowa, North Illinois University, and University of Illinois at Chicago… I want to visit these schools to get a real sense to see what it would be on campus grounds in state and also out of state.