Nick and Christian Village Inn Fellowship

Nick’s mom recruited me to be a presenter at the recent Middleton High School Coming Together Expose for students, parents, and members of the community.  Nick is a freshman there in the Engineering Magnet program and a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC unit.  I agreed to make a presentation and suggested the title be: “Secret Handshakes for the College-Bound Student.”  

 

Media reporting the following day highlighted the principal’s determination to keep trying to get parents involved after the dismal turnout that Saturday.  There was only one parent who stopped by the room where another gentleman and I had set up to share information with students and parents.  This mom did not have children at Middleton.  Nevertheless, the previous evening she learned about the Expo from Ms. Buchanan, the school’s parent liaison and decided to explore opportunities available for students at Middleton.

 

CW spent enough time to get an idea of what the two presenters in Room 211 had to offer and she took our handouts with her.  She mentioned that she would get back to me.  She has a son who is a junior in Pasco County and a freshman daughter at the Brooks-Debartolo Academy.

 

A week later, Debbie, Nick and I agreed to fellowship at the Village Inn Pancake House.  Debbie has an issue that Middleton and the school district have yet to address to her satisfaction.  I cannot change that, but at least, I can listen and offer encouraging words.  When CW called me, I invited her to the Village Inn so that I could also fellowship with her and her son, Christian.  They joined us about an hour into the fellowship.

 

Before they arrived, I got Debbie’s version of the week’s events that related to an unresolved incident at Middleton.  Nick had on his 2007 Notre Dame “The Shirt” and ND shorts.  His older brother, Joshua, will graduate from ND this year.  I also congratulated him on contributing to the recent award that his Junior ROTC unit received.   “The Distinguished Unit Award is limited to the best of the best of our nation’s 879 Air Force Junior ROTC units.”

                               

Christian sat across from me when he arrived and his mom sat to my right.  For the next couple of hours, once again, I received “the paycheck” for what I do.  As I asked questions of him, Christian’s responses indicated that he is making use of already existing opportunities to prepare himself to become a competitive applicant to America’s Best Colleges.  As it turned out, both he and his mom were interested in finding out more about the exceptional opportunities that Notre Dame offers young people.

 

Christian plays football.  He is also the vice-president of the Student Council at his high school.  He has done some volunteer work and frequently attends church at First Baptist Church of College Hill in Tampa.  He is uncertain of his college major, but has a strong interest in Math and Engineering.

 

Last year, Christian took a college-level class, Advanced Placement World History as a sophomore.  This year, he is taking AP English, AP US History, and AP Statistics.  During the summer, he will be taking AP Microeconomics and AP US Government.  His schedule during his senior year will include AP English Literature, AP Calculus and Physics.  Once again, I found myself sitting with “Gold” at the Village Inn Pancake House! 

 

It has been a little while since I last had something worthwhile to post to The MIMS Institute blog at www.mimsinstitute.wordpress.com.  Three 21^st Century graduates of Yale University helped me get started with this way of putting my reflections in Cyberspace.  Who’d a thunk that, after a week of “No’s” from the likes of the School District of Hillsborough County and the College Board, the Good Lord would send me fuel to keep the lamp of hope burning in the form of a “Christian” to forward to Notre Dame’s admissions and Engineering officials?

 

Sentinel EXCELerator Article

Wow, what a difference a news article can make!

Friday’s Florida Sentinel included “School District Offers Opportunity For Middle and High School Students To Attend College.”

 Ms. Gwen Hayes’ report mentioned some of the comments from the meeting between the superintendent and the Sentinel Editorial Board on Wednesday, April 3.  Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board and other members of the organization, joined the superintendent, MaryEllen Elia, at this meeting.  The big news of the day is that next school year Hillsborough County will become the first EXCELerator school district in the nation.  The article includes words like, “The program aims to increase the number and diversity of students in honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes.”

I applaud Ms. Elia for bringing Governor Caperton to meet “influence-shapers” in the black community during his short visit from the College Board’s New York home office.  I also applaud the Florida Sentinel for relaying the information to its readers in such a timely manner. 

Some tremendous possibilities lie ahead for our young people.  Our community can choose to buy into these renewed efforts to prepare ALL children for college success.  Governor Caperton likely will return in a year or so to highlight the successes of the first EXCELerator school district in the nation. 

Will leaders from local black organizations be at his side, recognized as equal partners in helping our children dream of going to college?

What are EXCELerator Schools?

College Board EXCELerator Schools Brochure 

“Hillsborough County is one of only five districts nationally participating in the EXCELerator program.  Next school year (2008-09), Hillsborough County will be the first school district in the nation to expand the EXCELerator program to all of its middle and high schools”

Invitation to Celebrate the Partnership with the College Board and Hillsborough County Public Schools, Wednesday, April 2, 2008