Having moved to the United States from Georgetown, Guyana six years ago, college is an exciting and fulfilling goal for Huguenot High School senior Shauneal Bobb to fulfill.

Bobb’s mother came to the States first and later brought her children with her. Bobb has watched her brother and sister graduate college and wants to continue the new family tradition.

“Being from Guyana, it is very important to be the best and come out successful as possible,” Bobb wrote in an application letter. “I believe that going to college would help me reach my goals in life, which is to be successful with the help of a higher education.”
Bobb will be attending J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College for two years and then plans to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry to become a dentist with a minor in criminal justice.

Currently, she is working on her dentistry skills through a shadowing opportunity with a local orthodontics office. She also attends Richmond Technical Center where she has learned how to make dental impressions. Bobb has also received all her certifications that will allow her to work in a dental office over the summer: she has certifications in CPR and x-ray radiation.

She also gets to practice health care skills during her volunteer time at Chippenham Medical Center. Over the past year and a half of her volunteering, Bobb has contributed over 650 volunteer hours and is still currently volunteering.

Bobb holds positions in student STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) clubs and has participated in key conferences and competitions in the field.

In her junior year of high school, Bobb participated in the state and national Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) conferences, where she ultimately placed third in the country in the interviewing skills category.

“(Bobb) is an intelligent, resourceful and energetic student who favorably impressed all of her teachers and earned great respect, admiration and popularity among her student peers,” said Carol Burton, Bobb’s dental assistant teacher at Richmond Technical Center.
Bobb doesn’t only participate in STEM organizations — she’s played right field since tenth grade on her school’s softball team, ran the 400-meter dash her sophomore and junior years and holds positions in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and in Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

In addition to her academic achievements, Bobb boasts another important, but often overlooked, achievement: She’s had perfect attendance through her whole high school career. “(I have perfect attendance) because my mother, whether (we were) sick or not, she always sends me and (my) siblings to school,” Bobb said.

In addition to her mother’s encouragement, Bobb finds motivation in her teacher, Linda Brown-Nick, who has been a part of Bobb’s educational career since she began high school. “Ms. Brown-Nick is like a school mom to me,” Bobb said. “Whenever I am under pressure or stress in school, she would be the first person I would go to. She helps me eliminate the stress and pressure.”

Like her biological mother, Brown-Nick has watched Bobb grow into a student ready and excited to attend college. “(Bobb) has developed from an unsure learner to a confident, self-assured and well-rounded learner,” she said in a recommendation letter.