MILWAUKEE –  Milwaukee Rufus King senior Jessica Holden recently received several highly regarded accolades for her accomplishments after four years in school.

Holden is 18-years-old and graduated with a 3.6 grade point average. She was a full International Baccalaureate student while at Milwaukee King, carrying classes like IB English, IB history, IB math, theatre, and IB Spanish.

During Milwaukee King’s awards banquet Holden was called up on stage several times to receive a National Forensics League ribbon, National Honor Society cord, and Spanish Honor Society cord.

While on stage, the yellow and red ribbons hanging around her neck, Holden was also presented with this years’ Horatio Alger award.

That award is given to a dedicated community leader who demonstrates individual initiative and a commitment to excellence; as exemplified by remarkable achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self-reliance and perseverance over adversity.

During the presentation, the moderator said Holden had “quite the story to tell.”

“I’ve been in foster care for eight years,” said Holden. “My mother suffers from schizophrenia and I don’t have any contract with my father so for me education was kinda like my escape from the reality I lived in and as I developed through school I realized if I continued my academics and continued to pursue them that I would find this path of success regardless of what my past has been.”

Holden is extremely well spoken. She carries herself with quiet confidence and speaks easily about overcoming obstacles.

“I’ve been in three different foster homes,” said Holden who entered her first foster home when she was 10-years-old.

“The first foster home I was in for five years. I was extremely verbally abusive,” she said.

Holden saw foster children come and go. “It got to a point where it was either I let the foster care mother break me down or I was going to remove myself from the situation because I knew the things she was saying were not true. I knew that I had it in me to continue to pursue my dreams no matter what anyone said.”  

At 15, Holden moved to another foster home where she, again, experienced personal challenges.

“The environment there was really stressful; I felt I really wasn’t part of the family. They made it clear I was not a part of their family and it wasn’t until my mentor, Chantel Harpole, saw the environment I was in and realized someone had to take a stand and show me some kind of love or else I was going to turn down a path of despair.”

AN INSPIRATION..

In an effort to rescue Holden from a spiraling situation in foster care, Harpole jumped into action, taking classes and filling out paperwork to receive state certification.

 “She’s my little sister but she’s one of my biggest inspirations,” said Harpole struggling to put into words the impact Holden has made in her life.

 “I know two languages and in either language I cannot find a word to describe her, that’s how proud I am of Jessica. She’s a really motivating kid so I can imagine what kind of woman she’s going to be.”

POSITIVE OUTLOOK…

In an effort to achieve, Holden sets the bar high.

“When I feel stressed, upset or depressed I look at the people in my life who haven’t been able to accomplish things. The people who told me they didn’t love me, or said that I was going to be a failure and then I remember that I don’t want to be them,” she said.

“I decided no matter what anyone said to me or what obstacle I had to face I was going to get past it and I was going to achieve something greater than I ever expected.”

Holden’s escape was academics. She dove, head first into homework, joined clubs, and surrounded herself with positive peers.

“I just enjoy school. I may not be in the top ten percent of my class or have a 4.0 grade point average but when it comes down to it I’m willing to study hard.

“If I get a B on a paper or a project, if I know that B is my best work then I’m proud to have that B.

“I know I can’t get further in life unless I have some sort of education and luckily I will be going to Northwestern University in the fall.”

Holden will double major in English and psychology.