b'Philadelphia FuturesAnnual Report20202021SherRon MartinCollege Connection, Main Campus, Class of 2022Ellis Trust, two time recipientJohn Bartram High School, Class of 2022What I learned about the world during this heavy time is that even when you are out of your comfort zone, you should always try to make something great out of it. Attending high school during a pandemic was prettydifficult for me; I missed going to junior prom, joining sports teams, taking on-campus college tours, meeting my Philadelphia Futures family in person, and much more. At home, I learned how difficult it was to focus on my school work in my room with distractions all around me. I realizedyou really need to learn how to adapt to new spaces and new changes that will appear in your life. I adapted to my new school life by trying to find a comfortable and quiet area within my house, setting multiple goals and alarms to keep myself on track, and giving myself some alone time. Philadelphia Futures helped prepare me for success by giving me multiple opportunities to work on my leadership and social skills to bring into the workforce. I was strugglingto put myself out there with my fellow peers until Futures staff helped me build my speaking skills by invitingme to talk with incoming College Connection students.Staff have also helped me explore the different typesof colleges that fit my interests. They were all very helpful in my search for colleges that were the right fit socially, financially, and academically.page 5'