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)

Start of my Journey

The clock counts down slowly as I eagerly await a phone call that could change my life as I know it. I was up for a new job with an organization I dreamed of working for since I graduated college. The anticipation was killing me after weeks of wondering how my future would shape up. When the phone finally rang, my heart jumped a beat and my stomach turned. When my supervisor told me that they were offering my a position at a high school in Denver, it was an outer body experience. I couldn't believe what she was telling me and I am pretty sure I asked her to repeat herself. Before she was able to finish, I blurted out a "yes, of course I am accepting the position." This was the start of the most amazing journey of my life.

Heading up Monument Pass for the last time, I was escaping a life that was unfulfilled and materialistic, heading to a new city and on a journey that would change my perception on life in a way I could of never imagined. My life at this point had been filled with heartache and superficial happiness that was masked by designer jeans, stilettos, Louis Vuitton and my many many nights out.

My destination was the mile high city and a career working with inner city high school kids in Denver. A joke to some that this yuppie white girl who was raised in upper middle class white suburbia would be able to make an impact and relate to students who have had an entirely different life experience. Little did I know, the students would have a bigger impact in my life than they will ever know.

This blog will introduce you to the remarkable young people I encounter every day. They are seniors in high school and getting ready to go to college. The majority of them are first generation students and some are even the first to graduate from high school. Their stories might make you cry and some will definitely make you laugh. I have embarked on an opportunity that has completely changed who I am and who I want to be as an individual.

The first day of the school year would be my first day of work. I have never been so nervous to start a new job in an environment that was completely different than anything I have ever known. Shaking and nervous, I walked into the Future Center...day one begins.