My name is Serenity Allen. I am a 17-year-old Black female living in Waldorf, Maryland, and I attend Thomas Stone High School. When I first entered high school, I became the first freshman on my varsity cheer team. Carrying out the role was very new to me, but in the end, I gained a lot of friends and confidence. That confidence has helped me adapt to different activities ever since then. I've joined majorette dance and started volunteering in the community as well.
Other than outside activities, I've always had a dedication to education. When I became a freshman, I started taking honors classes, and as my grade level moved up, I took AP classes. A class that really motivated me to decide what I wanted to be in life was AVID. AVID gave me a lot of information on college and careers, so now that I am a senior, I am more than ready to go out into the real world. I've been on many college tours around my state, and I've done my research on many HBCUs. I chose my top four colleges, which are North Carolina A&T University, Towson University, North Carolina Central University, and Winston-Salem University. I've been accepted into two out of four of those colleges, and these colleges have been the best fit for me so far.
As a young child, I was always asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Usually, I would say something like the president or a celebrity. But now, I have the mindset that if I put as much hard work and dedication into what inspires me in life, I will achieve greatness. When I grow up, I want to be a healthcare professional. Day by day, we are going through a decrease of health professionals due to the lack of treatment. I am going to step in and make a change when I graduate and become a leader. I will be training to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. I chose pediatrics to help sick or injured children without hope. Being in and out of the hospital really showed me how I missed out on a lot of childhood. When I reach this profession, I want to be the one to make children feel safe and understood, even when they feel like they have no one.
I don't just want to help children; I want to help the people around me. Working in health can also put stress on the mind and body. When I get the opportunity to be around other colleagues and I know that they're feeling down or unmotivated, that gives me the chance to work. Comforting others is free without a charge. Overall, making a great change in society and the environment is key in life. You never know what anyone else is going through, and vice versa. That is why I will make it my job to bring people satisfaction, and healthcare plays a huge part in that because not only do you show that you care, you save lives.
Driven, ambitious, and enthusiastic are adjectives that I would best use to describe myself, Layla Dukes. I am a dedicated student who is motivated by my thirst for knowledge. I am constantly juggling rigorous school work, athletics, clubs, and volunteer activities that I feel passionate about with Middletown High School.
Being committed to my classwork, I am currently taking four college-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Previously, I have taken six AP courses across my high school career. I have passed every exam with an average score of four out of five. In my high school class, I am proudly ranked 2 out of 298 students with a 4.553 unweighted GPA. I am in the Criminal Justice pathway, where all courses are dual-enrollment, coming directly from Wilmington University and Delaware Technical Community College. I hope these courses will prepare me as I plan on majoring in Political Science at Kutztown University, to one day become a lawyer.
Outside of the classroom, I am heavily involved in my school’s activities. I am a Varsity Captain of Middletown High School’s Field Hockey and Tennis Teams. For field hockey, I have been awarded All-State Honors thrice, All Blue Hen Conference Honors four times, Captain Honors twice, and Offensive Most Valuable Player thrice. I ended my Middletown High School career breaking all previous records for most goals, assists, and points. For tennis, I have been a captain for three of four seasons and have been awarded: Rookie of the Year (2023), Most Valuable Player Award (2024), and the Undefeated Season Award (2025). For clubs, I am the Vice President of Middletown High School’s National Honor Society Chapter. As an officer, I organize and share information about specialized volunteer events in the community. In the spring of 2026, I will be organizing our annual Pickleball Tournament at the local YMCA. I am also President of Middletown High School’s Athletic Leadership Committee, where I organize meetings and volunteer events that engage high school athletes with the community.
My family has been a major factor in growing me into a purposeful individual. My small family consists of my father, mother, sister, and two grandparents. Growing up, I watched as Alzheimer's took my grandfather's life. In 2017, my grandfather, William, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease after years of showing symptoms. As the disease progressed, his behavior severely changed. He became very quiet in family and social settings and barely spoke. He progressed through the many stages of Alzheimer's and moved into assisted care for two years. He eventually passed away in April of 2025. This horrible disease has left our family profoundly heartbroken.
Facing Alzheimer's disease with my family, I have learned that patience, empathy, and humility are the best qualities someone can have in life. I have seen my parents struggle with the decline of my grandfather. By being empathetic and patient, we are all able to slowly deal with this in the most positive way possible. Patience to deal with someone when they are frustrated, angry, and unable to verbalize their emotions is difficult. This disease has made me learn the importance of being in the present with the family that I do have and valuing each day. Life needs to be lived to the fullest and should never be taken for granted. I plan to use these life lessons and my degree to impact communities through the justice system. I hope you will consider me for the Valerie Raab Academic Scholarship. I dream of making a lasting impact on the world just as Valerie Raab has done with the Middletown High School community.
