When Columbia High School senior Laterria Scott graduates in May, she will be one of the first people in her family to attend college.
“This means a lot to me. I really want to make my parents proud because they weren’t able to do it, so I can do it for them,” Laterria said.
Laterria’s mother, Latasha Alston, says she wants her daughter to have a better life than she did.
“I want her to get a good education, get a degree and get a good job so that she can be comfortable. I try to instill in her what education is,” said Alston. “Knowing that I didn’t go to college and knowing that Laterria has the opportunity to is wonderful.”
Before Columbia High, Laterria was a student in the Montessori programs at Logan Elementary School and W.G. Sanders Middle School. Alston says the programs helped her daughter become more independent.
“She’s always been able to work by herself. Even when the pandemic happened, Laterria didn’t have a hard time because she was so used to working by herself,” she said.
Laterria says her parents have always encouraged her to do her best, even when she’s hard on herself.
“When I feel discouraged, like if a grade has dropped, my parents always let me know that I can get it up and that I’m a great student,” Laterria said.
Laterria has two younger sisters who attend high school in Richland One, with one of
them also attending Columbia High. She says her younger sisters see her as a role model.
“They always congratulate me. Sometimes they will ask me for help with their work,” Laterria said.
Laterria says she looks up to her mother because of her strength and strong work ethic.
“I instill in Laterria that you have to work. You have to have a good work ethic. Your name is everything to people out here, so do right by people,” said Alston.
On top of keeping up with her grades, Laterria is involved in Columbia High’s AVID program and concert choir, and she works a part-time job at Firehouse Subs. She says time management has helped her juggle her responsibilities.
“If I know I’m going to be tired when I get off work, I do my
work during school,” Laterria said.
Alston has made it very clear to her daughter that even with all of the activities she’s involved in and her part-time job, education is her priority.
“We had a talk not too long ago and I said ‘Hey, I understand you want to work. You want to make your own money, but you need to focus on applications for college and school because this is your last year. You need to give it everything your last year,’” said Alston.
Laterria is still deciding where she wants to go to college, but says she wants to study psychology.
Alston says she’ll be full of emotions when she sees her daughter walk across the stage at graduation.
“There will be a lot of crying going on,” she said.
