NAF Senior Asha Amerson on How Education Changes Everything

Asha Amerson is a senior at Jennings High School Academy of Health Sciences in Jennings, Missouri.

People look at women in my community in Missouri and think we won’t go any further than the limits put in place. Sadly, our dreams get put down at a young age and we’re forced to settle for less than we can achieve. Now that I know better, I won’t let another person define my success. Let me share my journey with you.

I was an eager freshman, but that was short lived. A month into my freshman year of high school, my dad died suddenly. This changed everything. My struggles intensified with the deaths of other family members. The process of learning to control both my grief and anger was overwhelming.

In fall of 2016, things started to look up. During my Junior year, I enrolled in the NAF Academy of Health Sciences. I have always loved helping people and knew this would prepare me to achieve my dream of becoming a doctor. I didn’t want to become a doctor for the glory of saving lives, but for the chance to use my knowledge to prevent other families from losing their loved ones. This choice was a huge catalyst for me. I found a community within NAF, full of the support of friends and teachers. Every high schooler needs that support, not just students who experience rough patches. Joining a NAF academy provided me with opportunities I never thought I could have. In this society, we often see so much injustice and poverty. NAF opened my eyes to a future filled with options.

To many high school students, activities like tutoring, ACT prep, and after school clubs are the only opportunities available. As a NAF student, we’re able to take career-focused classes, and participate in worksite tours and internships. I took advantage of all the offerings presented to me. During my time at my academy, I participated in two paid internships.

One of my internships was at Mr. Steward’s company, World Wide Technology. If I had to sum up the experience in one word I’d use ‘transformative.’ Although I am a health sciences student, having an internship at a technology company was beneficial. I could see how my NAF education applied in the real world, and how I can use technology in different fields. I even had the chance to create a mobile app! My team and I created BRAVE, Bully Reduction and Anti-Violence Education, which is a support system for those who are cyberbullied.

I felt valued as a 17-year-old still in high school and doing meaningful work at World Wide Technology. Meeting Mr. Steward only enhanced that feeling. Having the ability to speak with the founder of a company as big as World Wide Technology was unimaginable to me. In the time we got to talk to Mr. Steward, he reminded us that students are the future of the world. “No matter what you’re going through,” he said, “Remain humble and keep your faith.”

Mr. Steward’s words, along with the skills I gained from my internships, will stay with me throughout college, my career, and every aspect of my life. My ultimate goal is to become a pediatrician and NAF has played a major role in guiding me through the journey to that destination. I am proud to say that this fall I will be attending Xavier University in New Orleans to study biology.

As someone who spent the first half of high school in a traditional setting, I can attest to the fact that education changes everything. My NAF education changed everything. I am graduating with health science knowledge from my academy, work experience from my internships, and professionalism, character, and mobile app building skills from World Wide Technology. My education from NAF opened doors that I didn’t know I was able to walk through, and set me up for the best future possible. Thank you to everyone in this room for helping clear the path to my dream and building a strong foundation for my future.