Meet Amanda Powell

Whitworth Cadre Two
'08 Graduate (Business Management & Accounting)
Bellarmine Preparatory School '04

An uncommon motivation

Raised on Tacoma's Eastside by their grandmother, Amanda Powell and her younger brother learned early that, as Amanda puts it, "No one determines your future, except you." Motivated by examples of what she didn't want to be, Amanda, merely an elementary school student, began preparing herself for the challenge of making it to college.

Above the influence

Amanda was very active in school, making it her priority to achieve against all odds. Amanda's academic and social accomplishments at such a young age were significant in light of the difficulties of her environment and her family situation. Possibly her most characterizing childhood feat involved graduating from McIlvaigh Middle School to go on to receive a full scholarship to Bellarmine Preparatory School. Just making it through McIlvaigh was an accomplishment to be proud of in Amanda's point of view. "I would consider that school to be make it or break it...if you did well there chances are you would do well in the future," she comments. Amanda remembers McIlvaigh as the place that "broke" a lot of people in her peer group. "It was when a majority of my friends got involved in gangs, drinking, drugs, and sex," she remembers. At that point, Amanda made the decision to rise above her environmental influences. "I knew if I wanted to go to college I would have to be focused," she says.

Still at full speed

At Bellarmine, Amanda began to gain more support, but her drive didn't slow down at all. In her freshman year she campaigned for a student government position above and beyond posters and catchy slogans, taking a more relational focus. "I was able to introduce myself to everyone in my class in the first month," she remembers proudly. In addition to student government, Amanda was involved in the Future Business Leaders of America program, volleyball and basketball as team captain.

Learning to follow

Once arriving on the Whitworth campus, Amanda finally decided it was time to slow down a bit. She had made to it college after all. As a part of the Act Six program, she saw the opportunity to take on a role she had not yet tried. "I knew I could be a leader, but I wanted to learn how to follow," she says. It was a new and challenging approach for Amanda, but she felt comfort in knowing that it would allow her to do some necessary growing personally. "I knew I was among good leaders that I could learn from," she says. Amanda continued to build on her personal leadership qualities through maintaining her focus on relationships and engaging in meaningful conversations as well.

Shifting the energy

Amanda also decided to take full advantage of the high quality education, applying her energy and focus to coursework and classroom discussions. Majoring in Accounting and Business and Management, she has developed the tools she will need to succeed in the business world; however, Amanda plans to further her education before entering the job market. Letters she is considering to adding to her name include a MBA (Master's in Business), a CPA (Certificate in Public Accountant) and a MIT (Master's in Tax).

Becoming a motivator

As ambitious as her future goals may seem, Amanda still carries her childhood motivations and is convinced that one day they will carry her into schools and community centers in her hometown neighborhood as a motivational speaker. "My story can be motivation to them," she says proclaiming her dream of giving back to her community.

By Tiffanie Beatty, 9/1/2007.

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