Kree Small has always had many goals, but one of her biggest dreams is becoming a lawyer. “That’s always what I wanted to do. I really like English and history together and I can just see that job for myself,” Kree said. “I just know being a lawyer, that’s going to be me. That is my job.” While she isn’t sure which branch she’ll pursue, Kree is interested in legislative law and business law.
Education has always been held to a high standard in Kree’s family. Her mother is a school psychologist, her father is a microbiologist, and she has two older sisters who attend Old Dominion University and William and Mary College. Kree is the next in line to pursue higher education. Kree already knows where she wants to go. Just like she looks up to her older sister, she knows her younger sister looks up to her as well. Next fall, Kree’s top choice for college is Howard University for undergraduate school. She was able to tour the campus through her school’s STEM program. “I literally fell in love with the campus. I love Howard. I have to go there,” Kree said. After completing undergraduate, Kree hopes to pursue a law degree at the University of Richmond. Not only does she respect the law school, but she also wants to be close to home.
While Kree is ambitious and dedicated to furthering her education after high school, her educational journey was not always the easiest. During her freshman year of high school, Kree had to learn how to balance work, volunteering, extracurricular activities, her social life and school work. She finished her freshman year with a 2.167 GPA. However, Kree persevered and by her junior year raised her GPA to a 4.1. Not only does Kree take Honors and AP courses, she is also a part of the Early College Academy. With the ECA, Kree is able to take college courses at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. “It’s been good. It’s like real college. You’re in there with real professors and they treat us just like college students,” Kree said. “It’s exciting to get two years of college for free.” By May 2018, Kree will not only graduate with a high school diploma but also with an Associate’s Degree.
Outside of school, Kree has been able to work close to 200 hours of volunteer work with places like Miles Jones Elementary School. She is a part of Girl Scouts, Interact Club, and Yearbook/Journalism. She is a School Representative and was an Alpha Kappa Alpha Debutante. With all of her experiences and extracurricular work, Kree said her favorite thing to do is work her internship with Leap Innovative Group where she assists with social media under Janna Hall. “I enjoy getting to know all of the people she knows, all of the clients, all of these big names in New York and California and getting to talk to them,” Kree said. She said networking provided a way for her to build herself. Her internship has taught her how natural she is with several skills and she feels like it is more of a hobby instead of a job.
One of Kree’s biggest inspirations is her older sister who now attends William and Mary College. “She stays up all night doing her work. She doesn’t stop until what she has to do is finished,” Kree said. Kree looks up to her older sister because of her work ethic and dedication.
Just like her sister and other family members, Kree will continue to stay dedicated to her education and pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. “I want people to know that I go get what I want. I’m a go-getter. I have goals and I will achieve them.”
