LTC Program Participant and HS Valedictorian Daveena
Heads to St. John’s University This Fall, Will Study Radiology
This June, Daveena Hogarth will take the stage as Valedictorian of the Class of 2023 for The School For Human Rights in Brooklyn, and she attributes much of her success in high school to CAMBA’s Leading To College (LTC) program – for which she is a student liaison and ambassador.
“It is very rewarding to be Valedictorian and have my years of work recognized. I had a high school experience like no other and I’m thankful for it in every aspect of my life, every single day,” said Daveena.
“I had a very solid support system from day one. As soon as I arrived in the 9th grade, LTC began shaping me into the individual I am today.”
CAMBA’s LTC program integrates best practices between CAMBA’s college access programs, providing support across all programs serving high-school aged students on their journey to college and engaging with our alumni as they work towards college graduation.
From general academic support and SAT preparatory courses to college visits, financial education lessons, parent-mentors from the local community and tutoring, LTC employs proven strategies to help students improve attendance and academic performance leading to high school graduation, college enrollment, and college graduation.
For Daveena, the program has meant a great deal.
“LTC became more than just a college readiness program; it became a mentorship program, the most wonderful support system and most of all, family,” said Daveena. “All the decisions I have made in terms of my future life outside of high school have been met with constant support and encouragement by faculty. The program has allowed me to break the boundaries I set for myself and aim higher not only academically but personally.”
CAMBA’s college access programs support approximately 500 students like Daveena, including those at CAMBA’s Beacon and Cornerstone Community Centers, through both intensive student support and monthly events and resource distribution facilitated by CAMBA staff.
“From my first year of high school to now my last, I have worked alongside the administrative staff to effectively lead as a student ambassador and liaison to my community,” said Daveena. “The School For Human Rights – right alongside LTC – helped prepare me to be career-ready and gave me access to a future I would be able to shape by my own design.”
This summer, Daveena has no plans to slow down: she will continue her volunteer work in the Maternal Health Care Department at Kings County Hospital and will be taking prerequisite classes for an immediate fall semester start at City Tech – New York City College of Technology. Through the LTC program, Daveena has already earned 12 college credits on her path becoming a radiologic technologist, specializing in the modality of ultrasound.
Daveena’s interest in radiology stemmed from childhood experiences she had in the radiology department.
As a child, I was very prone to sickness and injury,” Daveena recalls. “I had a lot of firsthand experience and know how scary it can be to have lots of tests done on you as a naive child. The caring nature of the radiology technicians shaped my attitude towards the healthcare industry.”
“From the serene quiet of the exam room to the soft tone of the x-ray techs and the confidence I had in them to take my images effectively, radiology and the idea of working in healthcare interested me from a young age,” said Daveena. “Radiology is often referred to as ‘the eyes of medicine’ and I really loved the sound of that.”
Once Daveena completes her certification at City Tech, she will continue her college education at St. John’s University.