Da'Quan Tucker

To be a Breakthrough student means a lot.  But to stand before you today is an honor that is priceless to my heart.  Hello, my name is Da'Quan Tucker and I am a junior at Central High School, class of 272.  When I first heard of Breakthrough I was a sixth grader with multiple problems.  One, I was not doing so well in school, and two, I was shy, and not much of a talker.  This was because I felt as thought I had no voice.  I wanted to be part of this program with the hopes of improving my graders.  However, Breakthrough gave me so much more than academic assistance.  Breakthrough showed me the true meaning of spirit as well as many unusual but entertaining ways to have fun.  From spirit check to celebration, I acquired the idea of being spirited. 

One of the most significant things that Breakthrough helped me with was finding my voice.  Breakthrough never fails to tell students to express themselves.  It was here when I discovered my voice and also when I discovered my love for this program.  I have participated in a variety of activities at Breakthrough.  Beyond the middle school program I did years of the Breakthrough Leaders Academy.  Here I learned about Shakespeare's Othello, American Politics and etiquette in the business world.

I have taken advantage of tutoring and gone to several workshops and college trips.  I have gained so much from Breakthrough that I have found several ways to give back to the community.  This summer I worked as an intern in the Third Summer Program at Drexel.  This was my first real job where I distributed breakfast and lunch, assisted in classrooms and took care of paperwork for Ms. Kerry.  I also became a mentor to the younger students.  This was an opportunity where I learned more about these students as well as giving them insight on subjects such as high school 101 since all of the students were incoming ninth graders.  In addition, I became skilled in doing other tasks such as finding students' retainers in the garbage (long story!). 

I have also begun to teach Social Studies in the Germantown Friends School program. Currently, I am teaching the civil rights movement in Philadelphia.  With Social Studies being my favorite subject, I am using my skills to improve the minds of my community.  In the meanwhile, I am learning new skills every week when it comes to teaching, which will be of good use in the future.

While I am giving, I am continuing to receive from Breakthrough as well.  Last night I attended an SAT prep class and early this week I had Breakfast at my high school with Phyllis and Kerry.  They come once a month and other than gulping cup after cup of coffee, we discuss various subjects and also schedule tutoring sessions if needed.

Breakthrough has inspired me to study psychology in the near future.  My plans are to help the suffering, advise the confused, but most of all I want to help people find their voices and their place in life.  Although I do not have a definite plan, I can say that whatever success unfolds in my future, Breakthrough has helped me get there and that my life would be unimaginable without Breakthrough!