Bianca: Discovering inner-strength, courage and unlimited potential
“You can do it,” shouted a voice far below. “You’re almost there. It’s just a little bit farther to the top,” another voice bellowed from the ground. Bianca was strapped tightly into the safety harness and was carefully hoisting herself to the top of the high-ropes course. Each movement was calculated. As she was suspended among the trees dangling yards above the ground, Bianca was adapting to meet difficult challenges in new ways. She was tapping into her own undiscovered potential. She was frightened but pushed herself higher with the encouragement of her team – a group of staff and students from Volunteers of America- Minnesota’s Service Adventure Leadership Team (SALT) High School.
SALT is a unique school which features an experiential and environmental themed program that focuses on leadership development and community-based service learning. Field studies, labs, and service learning trips are incorporated into all classes. Students who choose SALT are typically those who benefit from hands-on, experiential learning or may have been unsuccessful in traditional classroom settings.
Until enrolling at SALT, Bianca had attended two other large high schools. “I liked the dance and art programs the schools offered, but the class sizes were all really big,” says Bianca. “I needed extra help. But it was hard to get what I needed from the teachers because they were so busy – and there were so many students.” Bianca was low on credits and didn’t know how she was going to graduate on time. That’s when a school counselor recommended she transfer to Volunteers of America’s SALT High School.
“The teachers at SALT were totally different. They came to my level and gave me the individual attention I needed. They kept me focused,” reports Bianca. “Once I was confident in the learning process, I was able to help other students. We became a team.”
While attending SALT, Bianca had the opportunity to participate in a variety of environmental field studies and high adventure expeditions. “I never was an outdoor type of person,” Bianca explains. “But, the learning trips gave me an opportunity to see what Minnesota has to offer. I gained leadership skills and tried new things that were difficult and scary. I knew that if I could get over those fears, I could overcome almost anything. All of the things I learned I have been able to apply to my life.”
Bianca worked especially hard while attending SALT and earned enough credits to graduate on schedule in June 2010.
Shortly after graduation, Bianca, her mother, and three younger siblings lost nearly everything when they fled from their mother’s violent 15-year domestic relationship. Despite that, Bianca continued to work as a summer intern with the City of Minneapolis in the Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department where she learned about public policy and operations, as well as designed maps and forms for land sales. Bianca was invited to serve on the Youth Violence Prevention Board for the City of Minneapolis as a result of the leadership she demonstrated and a personal advocacy initiative she undertook while an intern.
Today, Bianca works two part-time jobs while also attending Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC). She hopes to eventually attend Art Institutes International to pursue a degree in fashion design, but now she says a degree in political science/public policy may also be a possibility.
SALT has helped Bianca become successful in school, develop into an aspiring leader, and adapt to meet difficult challenges in new ways. This young woman’s inner strength, courage and perseverance shines, as does her unlimited potential.