My Sister's Circle

Antinnea grew up in an inner-city Baltimore neighborhood where single-parenthood, poverty and a de-emphasis on education were the norm. "Being a part of My Sister's Circle allowed me to see that I wasn't living the way a lot of other people in America live," says Antinnea. And it was that exposure, she says, that changed her life.

"My Sister's Circle played a big role in introducing me to boarding school. It was culture shock for me. I didn't even know there was an alternative way of living. I had no idea what other people had, especially in terms of education." And a great education was what this well-spoken young woman craved. After boarding school in Virginia, she enrolled at Temple University where she thrives as a resident advisor and public policy major.

But Antinnea hasn't stopped there. Through My Sister's Circle, she learned about and was accepted to a fellowship program at the Institute for International Public Policy in Washington, D.C. That program, she says, is shaping the future she sees for herself, including graduate school and a career in international relations. "This is the best thing that has happened to me in a while, and it wouldn't have happened without MSC."

When Antinnea thinks back to the days when her worldview was limited to her northeast Baltimore neighborhood, she knows she has a message to share with her younger MSC sisters. "My Sister's Circle opened my eyes to so many different cultures, different ways of thinking and different people. It's important for us to realize that we can expand."

Services Provided

• Arts and cultural
• Career exploration and counseling/internships
• College admissions guidance and counseling
• College fairs/campus visits
• College transition and retention support

• Community service/service hours
• Financial aid advising/FAFSA completion
• Mentoring
• SAT/ACT and other test preparation