Student Spotlight: Brittany Delaney

Senior Brittany Delaney lives on the west side and attends Al Raby High School. Her favorite subject is Spanish because it’s easy to pick up. She loves roller skating, cheerleading, and (like any high school girl should) shopping. In addition to being a good student and recruiter for our program, Brittany is in the spotlight this week because she has decided to attend Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. Congratulations!

EIU is 3-4 hours from Chicago which excites Brittany because it gives her a chance to grow more independent. “I look forward to having fun and managing my time,” she says. “…and to finding new friends to start relationships with.” A lot of graduates from Al Raby go to SIU or NIU, but Brittany purposely wants to try something different. “I’m excited but nervous at the same time,” she says.

Brittany plans to pursue social work as a career, which may require graduate work, so for now she will study a related field such as education. “[Social work] is a field that needs more growth,” she says, “especially in our community,” and this is a way to give back. Social workers work in places like schools, hospitals, and community organizations, which makes her a prime candidate for many positions.

Brittany found Cabrini Connections on the Internet while searching for ACT prep help. She was happy to see that our College Zone is free and offers a lot of good resources. After joining our program in the fall, she has attended multiple ACT prep sessions and, with her mentor, Sabrina Pierrard, has met with counselors in the College Zone. Brittany also recruited two of her friends to the program – Megan Caradine and Diamond Clark-McQueen – who were in search of similar resources. Brittany likes Cabrini Connections because “it’s really helpful” and she has a good mentor. “[Sabrina] is be a friend and a mentor,” says Brittany. “I enjoy working with her and talking to her.”

Brittany’s goal for 2010 is to have fun while she’s still in Chicago. She wants to make the best of these last few months before everyone goes their separate ways; and then she has to get ready for college! It’s a big year for Brittany, but we’re confident she can handle it. Best wishes!