- High School: Skyline High School (Graduated June 2020)
- College: Eastern Michigan University (Expected Graduation May 2022)
- Undergraduate Major: Neuroscience
Renee was first introduced to Girls Group through her sister and a family member who are current Girls Group participants. She joined Girls Group in her senior year of high school. Renee shared, “I chose to join Girls Group because even though I didn’t have much spare time, my sister joined a couple of years ago and really enjoyed herself. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, and once I started going, it gave me something to look forward to at the end of the week instead of just sports and homework. I love sports, but it was something different and took my mind off of everything else.”
Renee mainly participated in activities offered through Girls Group’s Wraparound Program held at Peace Neighborhood on Friday afternoons. There, she enjoyed the activities that got everyone talking and sharing their experiences. She mentioned that the Girls Group mentors have always made her feel comfortable and heard by offering a supportive environment. Renee is so happy that she joined.
When asked about how she is coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic as a college student, Renee shared, “it has been a long battle with the coronavirus, and the world has had to adapt. The big thing for me was just staying inside and doing school online…I have never done school online before this, so it was a big change for me. A lot of the time, I wasn’t given hard deadlines and given a week or two to do stuff, so at first it was hard to manage my time. I’ve gotten a lot better at that part, but I still wish we were in person. I still had a few in person classes, and I really enjoyed those. I wouldn’t say my college experience was ruined because of it though. I wasn’t able to meet as many people as I probably would have, but I was still able to talk to people and have fun in some of my classes.”
Renee shared that her current focus is to finish strong this semester and work towards graduating so that she can pursue graduate school! She knows that in order to do well this semester and graduate on time, she will need to study hard, but to also balance her studies and resting. Renee is also working on not procrastinating and making sure she gets her assignments in on time. Renee also shared that she is very excited about becoming a camp counselor this summer at the YMCA!
Renee feels thankful for having joined Girls Group even though it was late in her senior year of high school. She feels that the mentors she has met are supportive, and she is grateful for the friendships she’s been able to develop while participating in Girls Group!