Yesterday I asked Alexandria, "What key takeaway from our time together will you carry forward in life?" This is a question I ask all of the students I mentor.

"Confidence," she replied. " I gained confidence in my writing skills and in myself."

"That's what I was going to say!" I replied. "I watched you increase your confidence and self-worth. You have grown tremendously. I'm proud of you."

When I met Alexandria last September, she was extremely quiet, withdrawn and anxious. She refused to talk about her father's violent abuse. "It's too upsetting," she said.

"Ok," I replied. "If you don't tell your story and most importantly, what you learned from it, you can forget about getting into University of Washington and winning scholarships. You can always go to the community college."

I suggested she get a job and volunteer teaching flute lessons to 7th graders. She did.

Little by little, she opened up. Alexandria is brilliant and a hard worker with a 3.94-grade point average. She plays four musical instruments. With my help, she wrote beautiful and fascinating essays to apply for college and scholarships. My favorite part:

"From the terrors I've faced as a kid, I have grown to be hardworking, motivated, determined, kind and patient."

"After facing negativity in my childhood home, I want to make the people around me feel like they are in a safe space. I want to learn and and become the best person possible so I can avoid turning out anything like my father. I do not want to add any more negativity to the world. I plan to carry this positive attitude forward in life."

Alexandria won 20-scholarships totaling $62,009 so far. She will start at University of Washington this Fall.