Connection of the Month:

Posted by on October 19, 2011

Over the past year I’ve had the great fortune to be able to work with some amazing Philadelphia alum who are attending or attended colleges and universities in the area and give them a small opportunity to work in Philadelphia schools through AVID tutoring (every once in a while at the same school they attended). I can work to make even more connections like this happen but sometimes even greater connections happen randomly. We all know teachers make a huge difference on students’ lives. However, we don’t always get a chance to thank those teachers who have personally affected us.

I sent Justin McCleary, the college access VISTA at the Temple Community Learning Network, out to Ferguson Elementary to check in on the tutors I had placed there. Justin is a Philadelphia native and attended William Penn High School. He graduated in 2003 and went directly to Kutztown University. Justin graduated from Kutztown in December, 2008 with a B.A in English/Professional Writing and a minor in Public Relations and African American history. His passions have always been civil rights, education, and economic wellness in urban communities. He was founding President of the NAACP at Kutztown and led major organizing events such as a march against the actions of the College Republicans Anti-Affirmative Action Bake sale.

After I sent Justin out to Ferguson I received this email:

“I went to Ferguson today which was a great experience. But you’ll never guess who I ran into teaching the AVID class, my favorite teacher who happened to be my 6th grade teacher, Ms. Hicks! She couldn’t believe it was me. It was so good seeing her teach students in the same manner she taught me. She hasn’t lost any steam at all. She made such an impact on me early in life, giving me self esteem to realize that anything was possible. I had tried to find her for years, and she’s teaching right around the corner from me. It’s such a small world. But as far as the 2 AVID sections she teaches, and I’m not just saying this because she’s my favorite teacher, but they’re great examples of AVID at work.”

I asked a few follow up questions:

Q: What was special about Ms. Hicks as a teacher?

A: As a teacher in middle school I feel as though Ms. Hicks was very effective in encouraging students to put their best foot forward and to always remember you can do anything you want to do in life if you work hard and dedicate yourself to becoming a better person. Ms. Hicks was very nurturing, yet stern when you weren’t meeting your potential. She was very kind and caring, when some of us students were missing that at home. She was a constant uplifting source who was very in tune and in touch with her students. I truly believe that it wasn’t her education or experience that made her such an effective teacher, but her passion and dedication to the students.

She was very innovative in creating programs and activities that would interest the students and actually made us want to spend more time in school. One thing I will always appreciate was the fact that she instilled the importance of having good self-esteem. This is truly important during those middle school years when one is formulating an individual personality and trying to place themselves in the world as the way they want to be viewed. I am confident that had Ms. Hicks not been my teacher during that particular time in my life, I may not have had the confidence and the knowledge when I got to high school to further my education and give back to my community.

Q: What do you think it takes to get young people in Philly to really know they can get through college?

A: I think it takes seeing people who have overcome the same situations and circumstances they are currently experiencing. Having someone from your very own school as an example of someone who has made the right choices and dedicated themselves to achieving the impossible, can make a huge impact. I also believe the access to resources is one of the most important factors for young people who entertain the idea of attending college. As a product of North Philadelphia and the Philadelphia School District, I believe it was teachers like Ms. Hicks, counselors, and principals who exposed me to various scholarships, academic programs, volunteer opportunities, and college access centers that gave me the courage to believe I could change my life simply by educating myself.

Q: Do you think more Philadelphia alum would volunteer in their schools if they new there were opportunities?

A: I am almost positive that more alum would like to return to their schools and share their experiences and how they got to where they are today. I believe there is a strong desire to “be the change we wish to see in the world”.