Siena

As a child, Siena was given a unique opportunity by her parents: she was allowed to choose to attend public school or be homeschooled. Beginning in fourth grade, she opted to begin homeschooling.

“As a homeschooled student, my mom worked with me and helped me discover the best ways for me to learn and retain information,” said Siena. “Public school was always a challenge for me because I had a different pace of learning than other students, and I struggled with dyslexia.”

Siena began attending Howard Community College (HCC) during her senior year of high school, after deciding with her parents it was the right time to start earning college credits. Needing direction, her parents encouraged her to follow her interests.

“In my second semester I took Introduction to Dance, which opened my mind to a whole new world of possibilities,” said Siena.

Siena spoke to a dance advisor, Elizabeth Higgins, who saw Siena had a passion for dance and the potential to pursue it as a career. Siena plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dance education or dance therapy and use her passion to make a difference in the world.

“Mrs. Higgins has given me the confidence to dream big, helped to develop my skills as a dancer, and pushed me to excel,” said Siena. “I have my parents and professors to thank for inspiring me to want to use dance to make a difference in the world no matter what specific career path that may look like.”