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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2014)
Local News Kalauna Carter: How to Suceed in School Of The Skanner News D e La Salle North Catholic alumnus Kalauna Carter this year was named an HBCU All-Star by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Univer- sities. The Skanner News asked Carter, a Tuskeegee Univer- sity student, about how she has succeeded in school so far. The Skanner News: What keeps you motivated to succeed in school and community service even though you are so far from home? Kalauna Carter: My relationship with God most definitely keeps me moti- vated, but also knowing that I am paving the way for those coming behind me to be successful. I hope that my success will open more opportunities for them than I ever had for myself. Everything that I do is not for me, it’s for others. As a child my parents instilled early just how important it is to give back and as I have become a young adult, I see just how important it is. For the past two, going on three, years I have been volunteer- ing with “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” Mentor- ing and Tutoring progam in the local Tuskegee commu- nity. Being in college I see just how important it is to strengthen the youth around us in every aspect, especial- ly academically and socially. They are why I choose to give back; so to an extent, my success is big- ger than me. It is not just my success, it’s our success and their success is my success. communities. My family and those who looked after me were the ones who pushed me the most. TSN: What advice would you give to upcoming stu- dents who are thinking about applying to colleges today? Carter: Don’t think of college as one big party or negatively as more school in addition to high school, but think of it as a door to a world of opportunities that will make life so much more sweet, easy and beneficial. College is the only place where you’ll be around peo- ber, etc. Just be you; God made you special in your Being in college I see just how important it is to strengthen the youth around us in every aspect, especially academically and socially ple your age with the freedom to do and become what you want. Don’t com- pare yourself to anyone, not myself, not a family mem- own way with your own tal- ents and gifts. Remember to keep God at the root of everything that you do. Kalauna Carter TSN: What is your life goal, what do you want to achieve from earning a col- lege degree? Carter: To be able to pro- vide more opportunities to other young girls and young boys who come after me. I want my college degree to say that I have learned a foundation that will prepare me for not only the techni- cal aspects of my field, but the real world as a whole. TSN: Is there anyone who has inspired you along the way? Carter: There are so many, but I will keep this list short: my parents, my brother, my sister, my cousins, childhood friends, and the women of the Les Femmes Debutantes of Portland, Oregon. Each of them affected me in a differ- ent way by helping me to mature and inspiring me along the way, teaching me valuable lessons. When I was younger I was very involved in various pro- grams throughout the local Portland and Vancouver November 5, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 7
