From Classroom Leader to Future Engineer: Jessica’s Successful Academic Year

May 22, 2025

Jessica is a bright and determined rising junior at Gary Comer College Prep, and a resident in Walgreen Home, where she has grown into a confident young woman.

During the school year, Jessica had ambitious goals to maintain her grade point average above a 3.0, while taking all AP classes, and improve her time management skills.

With the support of her advocate Tillecia Robinson, Holman, and her aunt, Jessica was able to achieve her goals.

“Tillecia helped me a lot, and [taught me] how to manage my time [well],” Jessica said. “Jocelyn boosted my confidence and has done a lot for me.”

Throughout the year, she learned important lessons that have helped her gain a better understanding of herself.

“I learned to have patience with myself because I can’t do everything at one time,” she said. “I’ve learned to focus on one thing at a time. [And], I had to learn to be confident, ask questions, and participate in class.”

Jessica has a passion for STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). She’s a member of DevUp, a club at her school where they do STEM-related activities, attend field trips, and they help students navigate the STEM field throughout their time in high school.

“I really love math, science, and coding,” she said. “I’ve always been amazed with the STEM field.”

With college around the corner, Jessica is preparing now for her future. And a life-changing summer trip to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 2023 convinced her to pursue higher education.

“That exposure was a segway for her to say, ‘this is what I want for myself,’” Holman said. 

This summer, she’s eager to continue to learn more about STEM, and take advantage of opportunities to travel and cultivate her skills and talents.

She will be going on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Cork, Ireland, in June with seven other Mercy Home youth, hosted by our friends and citizens of Cork, Derry Cronin and Ger Power.

In a recent meeting with our youth who will go on the trip, Cronin and Power shared some fun activities they will do.

“They’re going to have a completely new culture and activity, and they’re going to open their minds to something completely new and different,” Cronin said.

When Jessica returns from abroad, she will head to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to attend a summer program called Summer of a Lifetime, where she will learn more about STEM programs and interact with high school students from all over the US.

“Jessica is going to be a force to reckon with,” Holman said. “I’m going to be rooting for her [every step of the way].”