At-Large $6000 Need-Based Scholarship Recipient
Aaliyah Pearson
Aaliyah is a 2012 graduate of Cooperative Arts & Humanities Magnet High School in New Haven, Connecticut. She is the daughter of Mr. Charles Person, Sr. and Mrs. Bree Keels-Person (deceased) of Branford, Connecticut. In the fall of 2012, she will enroll at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia to pursue her passion – a major in Mass Media Arts.
Aaliyah participated in arts activities offered at this specialized high school. She served as performance make-up artist and had numerous roles in the school’s theater, including but not limited to: the Sophomore production “Still Life with Iris”,, the Junior production – “Lucretia Society”, the Senior production – “Miss Lulu Brett”, and the musical “Broken Chains”. Aaliyah does screen writing, is a peer educator for AIDS Interfaith Network, a peer mentor and sings in her church choir. She maintained a B- average in high school and scored above 1500 on the SAT.
She participated in the UNCSA program on her campus. This is an opportunity for chosen students to improve their acting skills and stage combat, also to study dance and movement, take vocal lessons and practice acting for the camera. The Audition Workshop allowed her to perform monologues for the instructors and to get feedback from the performances. The Shubbert Theater Program was a student internship program that featured shadowing the ushers marketing team.
Her Guidance Counselor stated that she is a very mature and capable young woman. She is her best advocate. She is ready for college work and that she will no doubt be an Honors college student. Aaliyah was extremely successful in her Computer Application Class with an “A” average in all courses taken during the 2011-2012 year. “She completed her work on a timely basis and even assisted her peers with concepts and applications. She has a strong work ethics academically and personally. She will be a positive influence on any college campus and will make valuable contributions,” according to her computer teacher.
Aaliyah writes “Pursuing higher education has not only been a requirement set by my parents, but an expectation that I have placed on myself.” She states also that her goals include a career and financial stability which would be close to impossible without a college education. She wants to be proud of her accomplishments and to make her family proud.