Over the past 13 years, 47 students from Saint Martin De Porres High School have joined the Cleveland Foundation staff during the school year as part of Saint Martin’s Corporate Work Study Program. These students work five days per month in paid roles that supplement their tuition and provide important career exploration, relationship building and skill development. Our Saint Martin students provide essential support, working with the foundation’s administrative, advancement, governance and Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards teams. In this blog post, we asked our 2017-18 Saint Martin De Porres student team to share a bit about themselves:
Kiara (Class of 2018)
What career interests you most?
Business.
What college do you dream of attending and why?
I dream of attending Central State because it’s an HBCU and I want to be part of a Greek organization.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
My hobbies are step team, praise dance, shopping, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with my friends. I enjoy staying at home by myself, listening to music and having time to reflect. I love to be alone sometimes.
What advice do you cherish the most, and from whom?
“Never let anyone run your life. Live your life for Kiara, do what makes you happy and stop trying to please everyone.” I received that advice from my father.
Isis (Class of 2019)
What career interests you most?
Political analytics.
What college do you dream of attending and why?
I don’t have a dream school. I just want to be far away, but not too far.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Reading is almost the only thing I do.
What department of the foundation fascinates you most?
Executive fascinates me, but Program is a close second.
Kimar (Class of 2020)
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I like to perform! I enjoy laughing, exploring, traveling to new places and hanging out with friends.
What career interests you most?
Performing arts: acting, singing and dancing.
What college do you dream of attending and why?
The Julliard School in New York City. I’ve dreamed of going there since I was a young child because it’s such a prestigious school and offers the majors I’m interested in.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I act in plays, sing in choir, dance at many different events, and I step!
Willnaya (Class of 2021)
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m 15 and my favorite color is pink! I’m a cheerleader and I like to sleep, eat and hang out with friends in my free time.
What career interests you most?
I would like to be a nurse.
What college do you dream of attending and why?
Ohio State. I just think it’s a really good college for me.
What advice do you cherish the most, and from whom?
My mother told me, “Do what you want and not what others tell you to do.”
