Meet Brittney Chapman

Whitworth Cadre Four
'10 Sociology Major
Henry Foss High School '06

Finding a Place Called Home

As Brittney and her mom packed up their belongings, leaving behind their home and people they barely got to know, Brittney shows no emotion. Having moved around homes in California and Washington over 15 times, each no longer than a year, she’s started to lose track of how many times she had to pick up her stuff and leave. “It became an emotionless thing,” Brittney said. “It’s like ‘Oh, we’re moving again;’ it’s like a task you do every morning.” As a consequence, Brittney never experienced what it was like to have a stable community and relationships, but she said her experience has made her a stronger person.

It wasn’t until Brittney and her mom moved to Tacoma that she was able to finally settle down. Being able to attend Henry Foss High School for all four years, she utilized her opportunity to get involved. Having a stern mother, Brittney was usually only allowed to participate in school related activities. “It was nothing but school and extra curriculars (sic),” Brittney said. “Besides being a dork and doing National Honor Society, I did Creative Writing Club, French Club, and Karate outside of school.” She developed friendships and soon got attached to them. “My friends and school became the most important things to me when I moved to Tacoma,” she said.

Experiencing Community

Having never experienced what a community is like, the close community Act Six conveyed was appealing, she said.  Brittney is now experiencing the benefits of close relationships. “This year, they cancelled one of my classes for the summer and so my teacher is doing an independent study with me so I can get the credits,” she said. The college experience is rewarding but hard at the same time, Brittney said. Every year, Brittney sets a goal of maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher, but she said staying focused and ending an academic year as strongly as it started can be challenging when family and friends distract you.

Act Six’s personal impact

Brittney said the Act Six program has changed how she approaches and interacts with people. "[Act Six] is a new experience I’ve never had before," Brittney said. “It restored a trust in people because I was not used to having trust in people.” Without the program, Brittney said she probably wouldn’t have as much faith in people.

Helping Juveniles

“I could have been there with everything that happened in my life,” Brittney said in reference to the juvenile system. She plans to help young teens in the court system by creating personal relationships with them. She also plans to go to graduate school for psychology. Without the support created through Act Six, she said she wouldn’t have as many resources. “I know everyone says this but use your resources,” she said. “You can go 110 percent farther if you use the people and resources available to you.”

By YONG KIM
8/12/08

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