Through Eastern High School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Yarnetta Leonard has gotten a taste of college life before leaving high school. She says her IB classes have taught her what to expect in college, exposed her to new topics, and helped her to build study skills that will help her succeed when she enrolls at the University of Rochester this fall. Her favorite part of the IB program was her visual arts class where she created projects inspired by Africa. Through her visual arts projects, Yarnetta says she was able to “put things on paper that expressed how I felt about a place that I felt very connected to.” As a Posse scholar, Yarnetta says that the Posse community helped her feel immediately at home when she went to visit the University of Rochester. “It felt like a place that I could definitely see myself. It felt like we had known each other for our entire lives because of how much we connected.” During her time at Eastern, Yarnetta has served as Student Government president, a member of the Dream Team that plans schoolwide events, and president of the National Honor Society chapter – all of which has made her a familiar face to most Eastern students. Her favorite memories from her Eastern experiences are times when she has gotten to connect with her school community including emceeing events like the school’s Black History Month Show. “I feel like I’m home on that stage.” #DCPSGoesToCollege
