Meet Makayla Harte; a 2019 Graduate to watch. Makayla is very a bright and ambitious young woman who was born to Guyanese and Jamaican parents. She recently graduated with her high school diploma then one week later during a second graduation ceremony, Makayla accepted an Associate’s Degree from Bard Early College High School making her the youngest student to graduate with an Associate’s recognition from Bard.
Not only has she been a stellar student, Makayla has been an active volunteer in her community through programs in school as a Student Ambassador, coordinating community service opportunities at local middle schools. She’s also participated in and won the Quarterly debate program in which students review constitutional law and case fact patterns and develop 7-10 page briefs and 10-minute oral arguments as part of the NJLEEP Program. NJLEEP (Law and Education Empowerment Project) is a college access and success program serving students and families in the greater Newark area. Their College Bound Program empowers high school students with both the academic and social-emotional skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond. The curriculum, implemented over four years of programming, uses law to teach transferable skills ensuring those High School Students; Alumni; Family Members have access to the services they deserve.
Makayla has grown her skills at advertising and fundraising to benefit activities for her senior class events and used her own creativity with art to help. She was the Annual Newark Teen Art Competition Winner; NJLEEP Grammar Competition Winner; Constitutional Law Debate Winner and the Vocabulary Competition Winner. She will be attending the College of Holy Cross in the Fall of 2019.
