Student Spotlight: Dijana Smith

11th grader Dijana Smith has been with Cabrini Connections since the 7th grade. Before that, she participated in a program at the local YMCA that feeds into our program, so she has been benefiting from involvement with a committed mentor from a young age. She currently goes to Lincoln Park High School where she participates in student council and yoga club as well as running for the school track team. At school, her favorite subjects are math and chemistry. In fact, ever since her freshman year when she was inspired by her teacher, Ms. Metropolis, she has wanted to be a high school math teacher. She plans on attending DePaul University, which she visited recently on a special Cabrini Connections college visit, to study math and education so that she can help others gain her same passion and appreciation for mathematics.

For Dijana, Cabrini Connections is a place that offers a safe, “encouraging environment to work on her homework and meet a lot of really cool people.” Dijana realizes the impact that mentoring programs have on the lives of youth like herself and has expressed interest in staying involved with Cabrini Connections as a mentor while she attends DePaul University in Lincoln Park. She hopes to be like her mentor, Heather Coleman, in sharing her time and skills with young people who can benefit from having a dedicated mentor in their lives to help show them the way. We look forward to helping Dijana not only graduate high school and get into college, but helping her to be the best possible mentor she can be so she can inspire others to succeed.