And they're off...

As I drove into school today, my eyes started filling up with tears. Tears from one of the most challenging years of my life but also one of the most rewarding. Over the year, I have been tested in my true passion for what I do and questioned motives from many different people around me that I work with and in my personal life.

I have been bullied, had my room and car vandalized, things stolen, flirted with and protected. I have cried, been frustrated and yelled at them...but all out of love. As I reflect back on the year, it was all worth it. They are my family now and many of them have made more of an impact on my life than they will ever know.

The mission of the Denver Scholarship Foundation is to inspire and empower Denver students to  pursue their goals of higher education. In your quest to accomplish this mission, you begin to feel the pull the last few days of school and hope that you have given them the best advice possible. Much like empty nest syndrome, when they leave you hope a part of you goes with them and that they have listened to all your advice.

The South Rebels are diverse, beautiful and bright and truly remarkable. They have challenged and questioned authority when necessary to improve conditions for their fellow classmates. They are loud and funny and have some of the most amazing stories I have ever heard.

Each class teaches you something new about yourself. Last year, I grew up and found myself on a path to self discovery that I never imagined. This year, I am more feisty and have learned about cultures from around the world. South's students are not only from 60 different countries but from all over Denver.

I am thankful for their opinions and perspectives because they have certainly changed mine along the way. Here are my thoughts and words of wisdom to the Class of 2012.

SHOUT OUT TO THE CLASS OF 2012 FROM MLK!!! You guys are wonderful as well and the sky is truly the limit!! You have been in my thoughts all year and I know you will do great things.

As you prepare for the next journey in your life, here are some words of wisdom for you to think about…

Create opportunities for yourself. Be proactive and seek out those people who can help you be a successful college student. This could be professors, teacher’s assistants or upper classmen.

Immerse yourself fully in this field of study and find ways of making your research relevant to society at large and what will make an impact on your community.

Do not be afraid to take risks by stepping outside your personal and academic comfort zones.

“The only way you fail, is if you fail to ask for help.”

College is a rigorous, exhilarating process. As you set off to forge your own path, make it your mission to seek out research and fellowship opportunities along the way. The rewards are tremendously fulfilling, and in the end you will become a more adaptable and globally minded citizen of the world.

Congratulations Rebels!

Amazed...

The students at my school continue to humble and inspire me...the stories that start to unfold are remarkable and I know there are so many other students in Denver and in other urban cities who have similar experiences. There is a full academic scholarship to any school in Colorado that requires an ACT score of a 27 or higher. Considering the district average is 17, having 10 students in our senior class with a 27 or higher is pretty rare. As I looked more into each student to nominate them for this scholarship, I was stunned beyond belief to find out that more than half of these students have below a 2.5 GPA. When I asked the counselors and AP's about these students each of them had such extraordinary stories.

One of the students has had serious family struggles and has been homeless the majority of his life and the other lost both of his parents as a 10th grader. Clearly they are very gifted and extremely talented considering the average of their ACT scores was a 31.

We pride ourselves in this country as the place where you can live the American dream but public education is slipping and our students are suffering with budget cuts and lack of district funding. The question I have to ask is how we let these students slip through the cracks? Maybe it is because of the amount of district reporting and the lack of support for counselors to have enough time to have their normal student contact hours. Our focus and energy needs to shift to create a learning environment that challenges and empowers students to become greater thinkers not just their ability to take standardized tests.

By empowering these young adults with the tools necessary to achieve their post-secondary goals and the guidance and support of one of my AP's, we have devised a plan and hopefully inspired them to reach a higher level of education. We will see what they decide in the coming months...

Be thankful for what you have and don't be quick to judge those less fortunate then you.

A quick reminder of why I truly love coming to work and why I do what I do. If you have a chance to get involved in your local community, I encourage you to give back in any possible way you can.

Seeing these faces as I walk through the halls, sporting their school colors, makes it real. They just need the support, even if it is from a complete stranger. I guaruntee you will be inspired too.

God bless.

Shocking Moment...more to come

Yesterday was the first day of registration for seniors.. I was assisting the parent table in having the students fill out the Free/Reduced Lunch Eligibility Form when one young man and his family from South Africa starred blankly at the form...

Me: "Have you ever been eligible for free/reduced lunch before?"
The student: " I don't eat lunch Miss."
Me: " Oh, so do you go off campus to eat lunch?"
Student: " No."
Me: " Ok, so do you bring your lunch with you to school?"
Student: "No miss, I don't understand that form so I have never eated lunch at all."
Me: "So let me understand, you have never eaten lunch ever while you have been in school? Is that what you are telling me (in shock)?"
Student: " Yes, Miss."

My heart literally sank as I looked at this young man and his younger siblings looking up at me. I pulled the student over to the side with his family.

Me: "Well, come over here with me and I will help you fill it out and explain it to you and your family so we can make sure this doesn't happen again."

Had to contact a couple neighboring elemtary schools to make sure we tracked down the younger students to insist they are put on the program.

This is just one of so many students...I am in the process of working with the Parent/Community Liason and New Comers Center to make sure this error in translation doesn't happen again.

New Start...New School

Well...a new chapter of my life begins at South High School. Total population 1500 students. Total students in the 2012 graduating class..300. My work load has trippled and I am now a Senior Advisor.

This year will bring new stories and new experiences at the most diverse high school in Denver.

So it begins...

The Wolfpack

Its been awhile since I posted a blog and a lot has been going on in my little universe that is MLK. My kids have been flocking into see me and have been hanging out a lot of the time. I realized how much I am going to miss seeing their faces everyday.

I have a group of boys that I like to call the Wolfpack, they all come in at the same time together...all 6 of them. They make me laugh the most and are so curious about college. All of these boys are latino and boy they are all fiesty haha. Oh, and they are all related somehow and are NEVER apart. I always worry about what is going to fly out of their mouths next. Each one are first generation and all college bound. I know that one day they will change the world. They constantly talk to me about their girlfriend problems and I always know when they are having issues with the girlfriends. Their whole attitude is different. It is funny how young love effects you. I have quickly forgotten and am once again thankful to not have to deal with that distraction in my life.

I have become their big sister and they always tell me they have my back and if I ever needed "protection" they know who to call haha. Kind of like the Ghostbusters, but I doubt Bill Murray would be showing up at my door step ready to take on the living dead...I would imagine the guys who would show up would be little more intimidating then that. I guess its a good thing I have some of Denver's gangs looking out???hmm....totally harmless don't be alarmed.

I love how they command my office and sometimes talk like I am not sitting right in front of them. I constantly have to remind them to watch their language and to not talk about inappropriate topics, which usually makes me laugh or my mouth falls to the floor in shock. Times have changed is all I have to say. They have taught me a lot and have kept me up to speed with all the latest. Way more so than my female students. The Wolfpack is always respectful and if I ever am speaking to the senior class, they are always ready to help with crowd control and be my official shushers. They really have my back.

Graduation is coming up and they have a million relatives coming to see them graduate since many of them are first generation high school graduates as well. I have been invited to all their parties and they told me I have to meet all of their families at graduation because afterall I am a part of their family now.

I would have to say, I have the most fun with this group. They push me to my limits and always know I am a friendly face if they ever needed anything. We have conversations I will not ever forget. Next year will be quiet without them but I know their journey will be a great one.

One week they apparently made a deal as a group to not come and see me for the whole week. Guess how long that lasted...one day. Afterwards, they told me they enjoyed talking to me too much to not come see me. I always like that they think I am "cool." Not too sure about that but it can't be a bad thing :)

I realized how emotional this end of the year will be. Breaking out the box of tissues. A week and a half left until check out...

The Must Read- Queen

So this one is the must read and I was going to save her for the end but I couldn't help myself. This young lady has changed my life forever...
At the age of 14, a young Nigerian girl boarded an airplane with her siblings and headed to America. They arrived in Denver, CO on Christmas Day. This would be the first time she would see a mountain and snow. The trip would be the easiest part of her journey. When Queen was three years old she witnessed her mother die during child birth and at the age of nine, her father left her in Africa to care for the family while he established a life in the United States.

She would start as a freshman in high school a few weeks later. Her hair was faded and she had nothing but a pair of shorts and a black shirt to her name. Imagine starting in a school, not being able to speak the language and be from an entirely different culture and part of the world? I take so much for granted...

She spent her time studying and teaching herself English and within two months she was fluent in the language. Not only can she speak English fluently and better than most but she can speak French, Ebow and broken English. Queen has made such an impact in my life and when she graduates she will take a little piece of my heart with her.

She takes care of her 8 younger siblings, two of which are severely handicapped, and is the most humble, strong person I have ever met. She doesn't look at what she has gone through as an obstacle, she looks at it as her life and what she has to get through every day. Queen walks three miles to school and works at McDonald's at the airport on the weekends. She finds time to give back to her community and her church and she maintains a 3.8 grade point average. She is involved in the schools debate team, student council and college for every student.

One of my greatest memories was when I was able to spend the afternoon shopping with her for an interview outfit. I took her to Cherry Creek Mall, which she had never been too, and bought her a cami, necklace, earrings and we stopped by Starbucks and got a coffee. I maybe spent $50 on her total. She graciously accepted the gifts and in her shy voice was almost embarrassed. I told her that it was my pleasure to be able to get those things for her and she looked back up to me and said that no one had ever spent that much on her in her whole life. Holding back tears, I gave her a big hug and we started the journey back to her house.

I also had the pleasure of taking her to her interview at UCCS for CLC. This was a moment I will never forget either. We spent the afternoon down at UCCS and had such a great time. Running into old friends, introducing her to different staff and to top things off she rocked her interview. On the way home, she was so excited about attending UCCS and was thrilled about the day and how she did. She asked me what she was going to do about moving into campus because she knew her dad wouldn't help...I looked at her and said "I will make sure you have a team of people helping you." She smiled and thanked me for everything. About 20 minutes from her house she receives a phone call and it is her younger sister crying. Her dad had been mean to her and of course Queen started to cry. She looked at me and said "sometimes words hurt." Queen's father doesn't understand the importance of going to college and doesn't think it is important especially for women (remember where they are from). When I dropped her off at her dark, enclosed house, I put my head down and started to bawl. On the way home, I was trying to boost her confidence and be her own personally cheerleader because she deserved the world at that moment but couldn't hold it in any more. I pulled away and got to thinking about my parents who have always been so supportive of me and started crying harder. I couldn't imagine having this wonderful experience that we had that day and not be able to go home and talk to my parents about it.


If you have supportive parents, thank them. Not everyone is that fortunate...

This past Sunday, Queen called me to tell me she had been awarded CLC and I couldn't have been happier for someone in my whole life. Now she awaits her interview for Daniel's Fund this week...a full ride to college.

Queen grounds me, she inspires me to be so much more. Working with Queen has opened my eyes to so many things I am thankful for. I wouldn't be surprised if she never goes home and I semi adopt her during the holiday seasons when she goes to college. The other wonderful thing about Queen, is that she always puts others first in every way imaginable. Her life goal is to be an OB doctor and open a free clinic so women can be provided good health care and never have to go through what her mother went through in Africa.

Queen has made the biggest impact on my life. If I could take all of her pain and stress away I would in a heartbeat. I know that she will get to college and rule the world. I can't say enough...

Meet Kolet- The Firecracker

Kolet has a laugh the ignites the room. She came to see me on my first day at the high school and had a list of things she wanted my help with. Her passion and her ability to empower her friends is outstanding. She is loud, opinionated and outspoken. Kolet was raised by a single mother and has two younger siblings who she cares for while mom is at work in the evenings. She is a low income, first generation student and dad is out of the picture. The most influential person in her life was her grandmother, who provided much needed support for her and her mother over the years. Unfortunately, grandmother passed away a few months ago. I knew something had happened when this bright, bubbly, young lady came into my office, shut the door behind her and started to cry. The overwhelming feeling of her loss and sense of not knowing how she was going to pay for college and continue to keep up her grades during this emotional time was enough to make her give up. The stress of the financial burden of paying for college is a constant thought in the back of all of my students heads on a regular basis.

She spends countless hours in the Future Center working on scholarships and so far has applied to about twenty. One of her greatest traits is her ability to take constructive criticism well. She has struggled with a learning disability throughout school which affects her reading and writing skills the most. Kolet is determined to be successful. When she brought me one of her many essays for a scholarship, I asked her to rewrite it about half a dozen times and not once did she roll her eyes or get frustrated with me. Last weekend she had an interview for the Zeta Phi Beta scholarship and the panel told her that her essay was the best one that they had seen. She was glowing when she came to school that Monday and came rushing into see me to share her exciting news and thanked me for helping her out and constant support.

She is involved with the debate team, College for Every Student, National Honors Society and her church. She is taking many advanced placement courses as well as college classes at the community college near the school. Kolet is in the top 10% of her class. She is genuine and knows exactly who she is and what she wants. I always look forward to our conversations because its sure to end in a smile and a good laugh.

She hates peanut butter and argues with me on a regular basis but it is all in good fun. I make sure to bring peanut butter to school on days we have College for Every Student meetings in the Future Center just to get a rise out of her. She usually just sits and stares at me while plugging her nose and shaking her head back and forth. She is full of sass...my favorite.

Her dream is to attend a Historically Black College/University and has applied and been accepted to Norfolk State and Hampden University. More than likely, she will be attending Norfolk State in the fall. It will all depend on her financial package from the school.

Kolet- The Firecracker

(the names are false to protect the identity of the student)