Last year, New Legacy met with Mile High United Way in the hopes of partnering with them. We talked about our school and our unique curriculum. Along with the Executive Director and the ELC Director, one student joined the meeting: Zaria. Not only did this partnership come to fruition, MHUW asked to use Zaria’s story to illustrate the impact of New Legacy and MHUW. And her story (which includes many ups and downs I won’t share here) is an amazing example of grit.
In her book Grit, Angela Duckworth defines the term as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Zaria and her son Milo started with us in January of 2023. And in a little over one year, her passion and perseverance for reaching her goal have been on full display. Within her first month of school, she had already obtained an internship at AXL Academy. She also quickly became one of the best student ambassadors for New Legacy by giving tours to visitors, speaking with potential partners, and representing charter schools at the statehouse.
Now in her senior year, Zaria has interned with a criminal defense attorney and has taken three college classes (English, Interpersonal Communications, and Psychology). She has also been accepted to Virginia State University, West Virginia State University, Hampton University, Fisk University, Maryland Eastern Shore University, Alabama A&M University, MSU, Jackson State University, CU Boulder, and Texas Southern University. Her ultimate goal is to continue on to law school. As I said, her passion and perseverance are always on full display.
And Zaria’s long-term goals are not just for herself, but also for her son Milo. She appreciates everything the ELC has done for Milo. His growth in the last year has been tremendous! To hear more from Zaria (and trust us, you don’t want to miss the opportunity), join us for our Annual Legacy Fundraising Breakfast on May 9th!
