Congratulations to Savannah Sterne, University of North Texas ’27!

Congratulations to Savannah Sterne, University of North Texas ‘27!   Savannah, daughter of Valerie and Brendan, will study Biomedical Engineering at UNT, a large, Tier One research university in Denton.  Savannah will choose from an array of concentrations to support this interdisciplinary major ( including Biocomputing, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Biomedical Instrumentation, Biotechnology), along with an option for a math minor and a second minor in an additional engineering field. 

Her mother is thrilled with Savannah’s choice in colleges. “I am so excited that Savannah chose to go to the University of North Texas,” says Valerie. “We visited their College of Engineering and were really impressed with the amazing labs and truly interesting projects. Their engineering program is really diverse, and they have a lot of women in the program, which was important to us. The university also has large music and theatre programs – which, I think, makes for a fun and inclusive campus culture.With the help of CIT, she got into universities around the country (and some outside of the country), but I’m really glad she decided to stay close to home.”

Savannah will graduate from the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, a highly ranked Texas public high school that is one of the largest single-gender public schools in America.  Her school’s project-based curriculum emphasizes STEM education and works to deliberately encourage students in careers in which girls are underrepresented – fields like Biomedical Engineering. 

“At first I was hesitant to go into Biomedical Engineering because it is a very male dominated field with less than 25% women,”” Savannah says. “Although Biomedical Engineering is better than some of the other engineering fields it is still predominantly male. However I believe that Ann Richards has taught me how to stand up for myself and that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Ann Richards has given me the tools to be able to go into a predominantly male field and feel confident in my abilities to succeed.”

At Ann Richards, Savannah has benefited tremendously from strong teaching and mentoring. “ I would like to thank Ms.Collins for supporting me throughout Algebra 1 and 2, no matter how much I complained and procrastinated. You taught me that no matter how hard something is I can achieve it. You helped me discover my goals and believe in my dreams. Thank you for your true inspiration.” 

“I would like to thank Ms. Dicuffa. Teachers aren’t given enough credit for the hard work they do, so I want to say you’re appreciated, and you’ve impacted me in more ways than you realize. Without your help, I wouldn’t be exposed to so many opportunities. You always introduce me to the right people whenever I need them. Your experience has favored me beyond my wildest imagination. Thank you for being an amazing Coach for the past four years. I would also like to thank Ms.Mayo for always putting up with me and listening to my rants over every little thing. Thank you for helping me discover myself and helping me find my own way. You went above and beyond for me and for that I am so very thankful and grateful to have had you in my corner.”

Savannah moved through her rigorous college prep curriculum as a high performer and Honor Roll student. In addition to her school work, Savannah has been First Chair in her high school’s orchestra, and a member of the JV/Varsity Swim Team, where she has been recognized for her skills as Team Leader and has worked as Team Manager.  During Covid restrictions, she worked several shifts a week at a local dessert restaurant, preparing and serving food, cleaning, and working the cash register.  She enjoys regularly cooking dinner for her family, and loves all things related to the water: in addition to the swim team, Savannah especially relishes her summers in Canada, enjoying lake swimming and sailing. 

The Sternes are understandably proud of their daughter. “Savannah is a great leader and has great executive functioning skills. I know that she is going out into the world much more prepared than I was at her age to manage all of the things a young adult needs to manage to be successful in university. I am really proud of how she manages her time and her responsibilities. She is so capable. I’m also proud of her because she has a good heart and looks out for those around her.”

“I know that her  CIT consultant was a bit nervous about Savannah going away for most of the summer before her senior year. Savannah worked at a camp where she didn’t have access to technology, which meant she needed to get a lot of the things done off of her to-do list before she went. I know Savannah and knew that she would get it done, and she did! I was really proud of how she stayed on top of things throughout the process without prompting from us.”

Savannah’s CIT consultant says the same.”Savannah is among the busiest of my clients, but as the saying goes – if you want something done, ask a busy person. Without exaggeration I can say that Savannah met every one of her deadlines, executing all of her application tasks on time and with zero complaint about all she was managing. She can simply do a lot well at once. And,  I enjoyed our meetings tremendously.  Savannah is conversational, curious, deeply observant. Once we got going, we always seemed to find things to really laugh about in meetings. I appreciate her strong personality and direct nature. And I am so proud of her, and the scope of her beautiful admissions results.

We like Valerie’s advice to parents embarking on the college search. “I’d say don’t get caught up in the university-as-status-symbol rat race. There are lots of great universities and colleges. Try not to go into the process with a set idea of what success looks like, and be open to lots of different types of schools. Trust your CIT consultant, who has a lot of knowledge and expertise about unique programs, and trust the voice and instinct of your child, too.”

Now is a time of high emotion for all households with high school seniors, and all of the rituals that accompany the waning months of high school.  We’ll conclude with Savannah’s heartfelt thanks to her parents: 

When I was in school, there were times when I wanted to escape. But you helped me get through my difficulties, and now I am a high school graduate. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! Being part of his family is one of the biggest gifts I’ve ever received. Thank you for picking me. Even when I didn’t make the best decisions, you stood by me and guided me back to the right path. Now that all our hard work is paying off, I hope you’re as proud as I am because it is in large part thanks to you. Thank you for loving me the way you do and for helping me become the person I am today. 

Thank you for everything, Sterne family.  It’s been a pleasure. All of us at College Inside Track are so proud of you, Savannah! All the luck in the world to you!