Dec. 7, 2008 — When Barack Obama takes his oath of office as the 44th president of the United States, Gifft Hill School senior Jessica Samuel will be there, attending as part of the Presidential Classroom program.
"I cannot miss the opportunity to see this man come into office," she says.
The trip, part of a week-long Presidential Classroom program, also includes attendance at the organization's inaugural ball, the parade and classes on various topics. It brings together students from around the country and the world.
Samuel, 17, is still fundraising for her trip, but she's sure she'll come up with the additional $1,795 she needs for the program's fee of more than $2,000.
In addition to meeting this goal, Samuel is sure that she'll be a success in her future. She isn't sure what she wants to do with her life, but is fairly firm on wanting to own her own business.
"But it might end up I'll be a civil-rights activist," she says.
She has a good start. Samuel just received notice that she'll get a full four-year scholarship to Wesleyan University that includes tuition, room and board, travel expenses, books and supplies, and even health insurance.
"It was my first-choice school," she says.
The Wesleyan scholarship, paid by the school, was the result of efforts by QuestBridge, a non-profit organization that links high-achieving low-income students with scholarship opportunities at the nation's colleges and universities.
She plans to major in economics.
"It's the foundation for a financial career," she says.
Samuel already has an impressive resume. She's the vice president of student council at the Gifft Hill School, and served as class president in the 11th grade and treasurer in the 10th. She currently serves as president of the school's chapter of the National Honor Society.
And she's a member of the St. John Youth Committee, with the Political Action Committee chairmanship on her resume.
"We're really trying to keep our eyes our for the changes senators are making to make St. John better," she says.
Samuel belonged to the Love City Pan Dragons until the 10th grade, attended the Junior Statesman program at Stanford University in 2007, and worked this past summer as a secretarial assistant at the Gifft Hill School.
She's cut back on extracurricular activities to concentrate on her studies, particularly calculus, physics and government.
"Those are the big classes that take up my time," she says.
Samuel has made time for a role in Epiphany Theater's December performances of "Cracking the Nut."
Her path to this point in her life came with geographic variety. Born on St. Croix, she lived several different times in a variety of mainland locations with her eldest sister, Gail-Ann Guy. She spent the third, fourth and fifth grades at Julius E. Sprauve School on St. John before heading off to live again with her sister. For seventh grade she returned again to attend the Coral Bay School, an earlier name for what became the Gifft Hill School.
Those experiences have helped her adapt to new cultures and new friends.
"It helped me to be Jessica," Samuel says.
She finally returned to St. John in to live with her mother, Celetha Walters, and her stepfather, Lincoln Walters, in time to start the 10th grade at the Gifft Hill School.
Her father, George Samuel, died in 2000, and her siblings live elsewhere. Gail-Ann Guy lives in Pennsylvania. Two other siblings, Steve Guy and Keisha Woodrup, live on St. Croix. Kelly Guy lives in Canada and Barry James lives on St. Vincent.
Her mother is proud of her daughter's achievements.
"She knows what she wants to do in life," Walters says. "She's a no-nonsense young lady."
Back Talk Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.
