When Sah’Quarian or “Que” first walked into Breakthrough Atlanta, he was a shy middle schooler looking to find his footing. He was quiet, unsure of himself, and searching for where he fit. That first summer changed everything.
In Breakthrough, Que found a community that believed in him with peers and mentors who gently challenged him to come out of his shell. He never missed a day. By the end of summer, he wasn’t the same kid who’d walked in. The confidence he built spilled into the school year – and the rest of his life. His mother remembers that after his first Breakthrough summer, he never wanted to miss a day of school either.
Over the next four years, Que stayed deeply connected to Breakthrough Atlanta. He grew into someone more open, more expressive, and more willing to get to know people. But Que also stayed himself; something he’s very clear about. He still enjoys the quiet and prefers his own company. What Breakthrough taught him wasn’t to become someone different. It taught him to be his own person and not let anyone else’s opinion change that. “You have to know that you’re you,” Que says, “and that no one can change that.”
In 2025, Que graduated from Paul Duke STEM High School. He’s now a student at the New York Institute of Technology, pursuing a future in graphic design, specifically apparel design, with plans to eventually start his own business or brand. Recently, Que was inducted into the NYT National Honor Society for Leadership and Success.
What draws him to design is the same thing Breakthrough helped him find in himself: there are no limits to what you can create. His senior year capstone project was building a personal brand from scratch, and he loved the freedom it gave him. He loves work that allows him to be expressive, to speak with a voice that is entirely his own.
For Que, Breakthrough was more than an academic program. It was the community that helped him discover his voice and see college, and his future, as things within reach. Surrounded by people who showed up for him every day, Que found the confidence to show up for himself.