By Stephanie Claytor
Cleveland Heights——Most 14 -year- olds are just happy to be entering high school, a stepping stone in life that involves more freedom, new friends and Friday night football games. But, Alexis Crayton, of Cleveland Heights, chose a different route.
Crayton is headed to Dana Hall, a boarding school in Wellsley, Massachusetts. And she is leaving behind not only her mother, and brother, but her twin sister.
“It might be harder, the separation as the months go by, but I think at first, I won’t miss her at all,” said Alexis Crayton.
Shockingly, her twin sister, Aleigha, doesn’t seem too teary eyed either.
“I hope she has a good time in boarding school. I’ll see her on Thanksgiving,” said Aleigha Crayton.
But, it is nothing new for Alexis and Aleigha to go their separate ways.
“We’re just two people that were born on the same day and we’re sisters,” said Aleigha Crayton.
The two say teachers tell them they are like night and day. They stress that one likes the indoors while the other loves to play outside. And that divide is the reason why one twin is moving away from the other for the first time.
Three years ago, Alexis and Aleigha had the option to attend Aspire, an academic and leadership summer program for middle- school- aged girls from low income families. Aleigha thought it was nothing more than summer school, but Alexis saw it as a great opportunity.
So, Alexis sticked with the program, heading to Hathaway Brown every summer. She took pre-algebra and algebra classes before she even learned the material in school. By the time she left Monticello Middle School, she was in all of the gifted classes.
It was the Aspire program that persuaded Alexis to apply not only to private schools in the area, but also boarding schools hundreds of miles away. After she applied, she received her acceptance letter in the mail, wrapped in confetti.
“All I saw was congratulations. I just called my mom,” said Alexis Crayton . “I didn’t even read the letter.”
Alexis’ mother, Tera Crayton, and her got together that evening, read the letter and realized that not only was Alexis accepted to the ninth grade class at Dana Hall boarding school but also that the school gave her a $49, 000 grant to cover the majority of the expenses.
The two visited the school and decided it was a done deal. Alexis has only one slight fear.
“I’m not sure how hard it will be coming from eighth grade at Monticello going all the way to Dana Hall in a different environment,” said Crayton.
But her mother has confidence that she will succeed.
“I know she is capable of doing the work because she applies herself,” said Tera Crayton.
For now, Alexis is looking forward to her boarding school shower later this month to collect items she needs for school. If you would like to help her, send her an email at teracrayton@yahoo.com.
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