Surayyah, 11 years old, rising 6th grader at Carver's West Rocks Middle School summer transition program

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Describe your favorite memory at West Rocks.

“My favorite memory is my first day here. I saw some of my old friends and there were some people that I wasn’t friends with before, but I finally got to be friends with them here.”

Who is your role model?

“My role model is my dad. I like drawing and doing art. He is always amazed by my art but he also encourages me to go farther and do better.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“I want to be an artist or an art teacher. I’ve been doing art since I was seven and I’m always inspired by other people’s art. My favorite artist is Davinci. I like how his paintings are very detailed and you discover new things by looking closely at them.”

What is your biggest dream?

“I’ve always wanted to travel the world. I’ve been to a few countries and states but I want to see what the whole world looks like. I also want to help charities around the world.”

Describe an accomplishment that you’re proud of.

“One of my drawings was selected to be in the Norwalk City Hall. I didn’t think I could draw at all and I always doubted myself but on that day that I received a paper saying that I got into city hall, I got really excited and more confident.”

How has this program helped you prepare for middle school?

“I’m not really confident in reading but since we have ELA here it has made me feel better. Also, the math in middle school is difficult but doing math here has helped me. Now I won’t have to go home and ask for help on my math homework because I’ll be able to do it myself.”

What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned at this program?

“I’ve learned that we’re not little kids anymore and that we’re going to do more challenging work now.”

How would you describe this program to someone who doesn’t know what it is?

“You get to go to three different classes and learn something new every day. Sometimes you’ll be shocked and wowed by the things that you see and learn here. It’s not only playing around, it’s learning and having fun at the same time.”