Deidre Green got off to a rough start with a bad case of infant jaundice that overwhelmed her mother. She went to live with her grandmother, who showered her with attention that likely changed the arc of her life.
â??I suppose I got pretty spoiled,â? the UW-Madison freshman says with a laugh. â??My grandma played with me all the time â?? she did puzzles with me, read to me. She always told me I was smart, so when I got to school, that was what I expected. It was what she expected, too.â?
For Green, a variety of serendipitous factors â?? her own talent and hard work, supportive mentors in and out of school, a core group of good friends and key opportunities â?? helped her excel in Madison public schools. An educational pioneer in her family, she intends to also do well in college and then go to law school.