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“Don’t mess up your freshman year! It will affect you so bad your senior year!”
Kaniquia Williams is a vision in orange and black, her Ottawa Hills softball uniform. Or her Ottawa Hills marching band uniform. Whatever uniform she’s wearing, Kaniquia’s high energy and vibrant smile can outshine it—even the brightest orange.
On the rare occasions when her energy and smile fade, her music teacher, Ms. Vanessa Allen, steps in. “She helps me out whenever I get discouraged,” Kaniquia says. And two other educators—Ms. Carter and Mr. Burke—were instrumental in helping her find college options and get a scholarship, despite a few slip-ups her freshman year.
With all the support, Kaniquia has enrolled in Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where she will study business and accounting. As she heads to college, who is her biggest supporter of all? “My mom,” Kaniquia says. “What has she done? EVERYTHING.”
Check our more stories from the GRPS Class of 2011 and tell Grand Rapids students that you believe in them by visiting www.ibelieveibecome.org/students.
*Contribution from Joe Jones/Believe 2 Become
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