Skip to main content

News

  • Spotlight

Making the Grade fosters communication

I recently had the most rewarding experience. And, no doubt to the surprise of some of you, it involved high school students.

Southeast High School hosted a Making the Grade event, based on Lanphier’s model, which invites community members to talk to students about their grades and goals. I had the genuine pleasure of conversing with several Southeast High School students about their academic progress. Some had excellent grades and talked of how to maintain them. Some had low grades but had thought out plans on how to improve. All were open. All were willing to talk to an adult who was unknown but clearly interested. All had high aspirations. Don’t ever let them lower their expectations for themselves.

That experience touched a chord for me personally. I had a high school guidance counselor that, though I was in the upper 12 percent of my class, didn’t take me seriously when I told him I wanted to go to college. I had looked up to and fully trusted that person, but he let me down. I was crushed. I consequently doubted myself. It took a long time to build up my confidence and attain my goals. Don’t let that happen to today’s students.

Read more: http://www.sj-r.com/article/20131214/NEWS/131219723/10283/NEWS#ixzz2otnD8lab