San Antonio, TX – October 29, 2012 – Jeanette Berlanga, a senior at KIPP University Prep in San Antonio, has been selected as a delegate to the Collegiate Leadership Summit sponsored by Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is the first student from San Antonio that has ever been selected for this honor. Because acceptance for attendance at the Summit is highly competitive nationally, Jeanette’s selection is a tribute to her academic performance at KIPP and her leadership potential as demonstrated at her school, in her family, and in her community.
Franklin & Marshall College is a private liberal arts college located in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As the 17th oldest college in the nation, the college has a long history of academic excellence based on a combination of liberal arts exploration and practical application. The college invites high school students from diverse backgrounds who have a strong history of leadership to campus to explore their leadership abilities as they transition to a college environment. The Collegiate Leadership Summit is a two-day program that provides selected delegates an opportunity to develop their leadership skills while interacting with F&M community members and experiencing college life in a highly selective liberal arts environment. Delegates will also demonstrate their leadership skills through an admission interview and group activities. The cost of travel and attendance is covered by the college.
Since its inception in 1994, the KIPP network of schools has garnered a track record for getting low-income students to college. Jeanette has attended KIPP University Prep for her entire high school career. KIPP University Prep is part of the national KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) network of over 100 public charter schools operating in primarily urban areas with under-served populations.
Since Jeanette started attending KIPP in the fifth grade, her academic performance has been truly outstanding. She has always been on the A/B Honor Roll; and, as she enters her senior year, she is in the top 6% of her class. This young lady aspires to have a career in criminal justice and hopes to help others in her community when she returns with her degree. She has assisted her mother in stabilizing their family life since her father passed away five years ago, and her two younger brothers look up to their sister as a role model.
Athletically, Jeanette has earned the praise of her school soccer coach Travis Boubel. “She is one of the most coachable athletes I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She always gives her 100% both on the field and off and sets the standard of sportsmanship for younger athletes,” Boubel stated. Jeanette was named to the 1st team All-State for the newly formed Texas Charter School Academic and Athletic League during her junior year and selected as captain and MVP of her school soccer team.
“She has overcome so much adversity in her young life, and her determination to succeed is remarkable,” COL Hugh Mulligan, CEO of AQUAS stated. “When she was selected by our non-profit organization as a student athlete, we knew she was a great soccer player but soon discovered that Jeanette Berlanga was, indeed, a leader with her peers and was eager to share and guide her under-classmates in making the right choices in their lives. Franklin & Marshall got it right when they selected this KIPPster, AQUAS student athlete, and citizen of San Antonio to represent all three entities,” COL Mulligan said.
AQUAS is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that is identifying underprivileged high school athletes that have demonstrated high academic performance. These students may not have received much national visibility, for a number of reasons, and thus college coaches are not aware of their skills. AQUAS overcomes that problem as it puts these selected students in front of the colleges athletic departments until the right academic and athletic match are found and some financial assistance for their education is offered.
