NCR 2011 Peer Leader Profile- Patience Amankwa
Surrattsville High School Peer Leader shares her story.

Patience Amankwa is the product of her parents who emigrated from Ghana, their hardships, and their strong African beliefs and values. Until the end of her 11^th grade year, Patience struggled with a lack of confidence and a lack of faith in her ability to make her dreams come true.

She was not originally selected to attend the College Summit 2011 Summer Workshop with the group of rising seniors who would become Surrattsville High School’s 2011-12 Peer Leaders. However, after observing the work of the past year’s Peer Leaders in her school, Patience saw the workshop as an opportunity she could not miss. She advocated to get her name on the top of the workshop waiting list.

Patience’s workshop experience was life-changing. “I walk with a sense of pride and a better appreciation of life now. The workshop changed my life in wonderful ways. I am so much more prepared for my future and what is ahead of me. College Summit gave me the confidence to believe in my dream and the motivation to make it happen. Before, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do everything on my own, but with the foundation that College Summit has laid out for me, I know that I can make it. I now have mentors who I can run to if I have any type of problems. I am also the Peer Leader President of College Summit at Surrattsville, and love coming up with new ways to inform the students of any type of college information that will be beneficial to them.” 

Patience plans to attend University of Maryland Baltimore County next fall, where she will major in Counseling and Psychology. She also plans to continue on to get her PhD. Her goal is to eventually counsel and help teenagers and young adults.