Dezáray Lowery's time at Gateway High School has been filled with many life-changing experiences that have helped shape her compassionate, confident, and ambitious personality.
During her freshman year, Dezáray participated in a program through Gateway called buildOn, a non-profit organization that helps build schools in some of the world's poorest countries. Dezáray traveled to Haiti as the youngest member of the group and was the only African-American woman.
While Dezáray learned the importance of education and service through buildOn, her time at the Alzar School immersed her in a rigorous and challenging educational setting that revealed her strong leadership skills. She also gained a tremendous amount of confidence at the Alzar School by participating in outdoor activities that were unfamiliar to her like kayaking, hiking, and camping.
Dezáray has a passion for helping others and plans on studying Psychology at Spelman College, a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dezaray became interested in pursuing Psychology while exploring different career paths with Gateway's Director of College Counseling, Mr. Joel Rangel.
Mr. Rangel recommended RAMS Summer Bridge, an 8-week summer mentorship program for youth currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, San Francisco Unified School District high schools.
RAMS Summer Bridge provided Dezáray with the opportunity to meet with Psychologists and Psychiatrists to learn first hand perspectives about the profession. She also had the opportunity to visit different hospitals and museums that provided different insights and perspectives into the world of Psychology.
Dezáray hopes to earn her doctorate in Psychology and wants to eventually open up her own practice.
As she prepares to leave San Francisco for Atlanta, Dezáray says she will miss the teachers at Gateway the most. "The teachers at Gateway have all been highly supportive and really amazing. They show us that they want to be here and are completely dedicated to shaping our future."