October 02, 2022
City Academy (2021), Villa Duchesne (Exp. 2027)
A recent graduate of City Academy, Whitney Gross wasted no time in getting heavily involved at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School. Already a member of show choir, and the volleyball and basketball teams, Whitney applied and was selected to go on the Sacred Heart trip to Chicago this summer where students volunteered at food pantries and soup kitchens, while learning more about food insecurity. She came away impressed with the quality of food being prepared and the importance of providing healthy, good-tasting meals.
Whitney also spent much of her summer volunteering at City Academy with the Summer at City program and helping teachers get their classrooms and bulletin boards ready for the first day of school.
“I like seeing how students I used to tutor or go to class with have developed their mind and intelligence,” Whitney said. “They’ve grown so much too!”
Whitney especially enjoyed her experience participating in STAGES (see more on page ___), which she credits for making her feel so connected to her classmates. Her favorite teacher was Stephanie Oteng (5th and 6th grade math), who always made sure students had the chance to meet with her for extra help if they did not understand a concept. She also appreciates all the book choices from Shalawn Fennoy’s class, such as Out of My Mind and Of Mice and Men.
“She had really good picks,” Whitney said. “When it came to readings and real-life situations, and comparing that to our lives – it was just really inspiring.”
Whitney thinks that what makes City Academy special is the sense of community. She remembers working on projects in the Makers Space together with her classmates where they were able to work in unison to bring a plan from a book to life.
“It really brings people together because you have to partner up,” Whitney said. “[City Academy] is definitely a place where diverse thoughts can actually co-exist and not be brought down. I just really love that.”