As we stepped off of the van this morning and entered Stephens High School there was a unique energy present.  Much due to the fact that our days of interaction and service in this community was culminating.  Therefore, I personally in a single moment, dually existed in a emotional state of overwhelming joy and a sharp pain of sadness.  Sadness because what I was just becoming to know and understand to be Stephens would be rapidly downsized to emails, photos, and memories.  Yet, there was overwhelming joy because we had yet another day to affect positive change.

While some of my peers taught classes (Yay Trayonna) and others helped to actually get students to apply to colleges/universities (which included tracking down transcripts, calling Admission’s offices, retrieving ACT scores, and much more) myself, Donte, and Michael spent the first two hours of our day in ISS.  So for all of you who have never gotten in any trouble in your K-12 career, ISS stands for In School Suspension.  Most of these students were in here for things such as disrupting class, skipping school, or confrontations with teachers or other staff.  When I first entered the room they all were looking at me like: “So, what is this kid from Wake Forest going to say to us?  Let me guess, you need to behave yourself or you are going to through your future away.”  Not to blame them, that is probably what i would have said myself.  Yet, as conversation begun and I told that I spent most of my 7th grade year in ISS myself, one kid exclaimed “Oh, now we can talk.”  Before you knew it there was a semi-circle around me and Michael as we told the students how horrible we were.  Isn’t that great!  No we didn’t beat them over the head with the “Act Right” stick.  No we didn’t introduce them to the fear factor (however that is sometimes needed).  Instead we gave them hope.  We said, “Look how horrible we were and we made it.”  For all of you concerned parents (or paternal like people), we didn’t create a false reality that if they continued the way they did life will just pan out.  However, we told them that you posses the power within you to change your own destiny.  You can CHANGE!

One young man in particular (the one who first gave me the credibility to speak) who I really clicked with was an 8th grader named Jaylen .  Interestingly enough, he was named after Jalen Rose (NBA player) just like my younger brother back home.  He told me that he wanted to be a basketball player himself, but if that didn’t pan out he would like to be high school teacher and basketball coach.  After spending some time on the internet I returned with some scholarship information for African-American males who aspired to be teachers.  I knew it meant something when we all took pictures together and held up high in front of him were the papers I gave him.  Wow!  Powerful!  That moment will forever grip me.

After leaving the school we were invited to Linda and Russ’s home (yeah they are professors, but they demanded we call them by their first names).  While at their home I rode a horse for the first time ( a World Champion Show horse at that).  They were extremely gracious and allowed us to stay at their ranch for three hours.  They then joined us for dinner at Pizza Inn where we help support the Stehphens’ High School National Honor Society’s  fundraisr for their spring trip.  All around our day was full, but great.

As I finish this blog, I must say it is truly clearer now.  It is clearer that I and you can REALLY make a difference and it starts with each of us giving of ourselves.  Reaching out to our neighbors and that includes any man, woman, boy or girl who see in need.  Touch someone and see how much of it will change not only them, but you as well.  My heart is overwhelmed, however life is clearer now.

The title of my blog is partially in honor of my fellow travel partner and ‘08 Wake Forest graduate Mercy!!!!  I have been so encouraged by my classmates that I would be remiss if I did not mention at least one significant engagement.  On that note shout outs to Michael, Keon, Trayonna, Elizabeth, Benny, Duabhav, and Aaron!  I was and am so inspired by Mercy’s story that I thought I would share some of it before speaking of yesterday’s experiences.  It is what she is doing and plans to do that inspire my admiration.  Mercy is from Malewi, in Southeast Africa, and has come to Wake Forest University to get her degree in Economics and plans to go on to get her PhD.  Afterward she plans to go back to Malewi and provide herself as a resource to her country, where she feels the need is greater in comparison to America.  Yes she could say hey I made it out, and enjoy the amenities of our society and the pleasures/comforts it all offers, but she understands that she is who she is because of where she came from.  So to Mercy and all of those who do not forget where you come from and those who are still there thank you and God bless you, and Lord have ‘mercy’ on those of us who forget! 

The other significant inspiration of this blog are a couple of  experiences that I had while observing a Math class yesterday (note: if you want to read more about this experience read Michael Mahmoud’s blog from yesterday).  One of the students, who was giving the teacher a VERY hard time and making it very difficult for her to facilitate a healthy learning environment, asked the teacher if he could just pay for an “A” instead of having to complete his make up work.  Her response to the student was “no, this is not a store this is a school.”  I thought to myself wow, that statement is true and false all at the same time.  It seems that it’s true for the poor, under funded schools across this country and globe, but false for those that are rich.  Now I make my comments understanding that all-inclusive statements are more often than not falsifiable, however, I truly believe overwhelmingly this is the case.  Rich schools with rich students are able to pay for SAT/ACT prep courses and guides or expensive tutors all to increase their chance into getting into college.  I also listened to the teacher tell me how they could not afford to provide books to a 10 student class although it is a state mandated course.  The entire time all I could think about was how we have a governor who can find thousands of the government’s/taxpayers dollars to pay for prostitutes, but no one can find less than 1,000 dollars to buy books for our nation’s future textbooks for a state required class!  So I say ‘mercy on us’….

 I would like to close on a lighter note.  After visiting the home of the wonderful Linda and Russ (SAU professors who insisted we call them by first name) and riding their horse Tiffany 2 Spot, I along with the rest of the group found ourselves pushing a 15 passenger van out of a muddy trail.  It was so much fun, because after pushing the van out of one spot we pushed it too far back into another and hand to push it out again.  It was definitely a bonding experience…and it’s all thanks to Aaron, just kidding.  Aaron has to be by far the best driver on the trip! 

 Well until next time….

Donte’

 The title of my blog is partially in honor of my fellow travel partner and ‘08 Wake Forest graduate Mercy!!!!  I have been so encouraged by my classmates that I would be remiss if I did not mention at least one significant engagement.  On that note shout outs to Michael, Keon, Trayonna, Elizabeth, Benny, Duabhav, and Aaron!  I was and am so inspired by Mercy’s story that I thought I would share some of it before speaking of yesterday’s experiences.  It is what she is doing and plans to do that inspire my admiration.  Mercy is from Malewi, in Southeast Africa, and has come to Wake Forest University to get her degree in Economics and plans to go on to get her PhD.  Afterward she plans to go back to Malewi and provide herself as a resource to her country, where she feels the need is greater in comparison to America.  Yes she could say hey I made it out, and enjoy the amenities of our society and the pleasures/comforts it all offers, but she understands that she is who she is because of where she came from.  So to Mercy and all of those who do not forget where you come from and those who are still there thank you and God bless you, and Lord have ‘mercy’ on those of us who forget! 

The other significant inspiration of this blog are a couple of  experiences that I had while observing a Math class yesterday (note: if you want to read more about this experience read Michael Mahmoud’s blog from yesterday).  One of the students, who was giving the teacher a VERY hard time and making it very difficult for her to facilitate a healthy learning environment, asked the teacher if he could just pay for an “A” instead of having to complete his make up work.  Her response to the student was “no, this is not a store this is a school.”  I thought to myself wow, that statement is true and false all at the same time.  It seems that it’s true for the poor, under funded schools across this country and globe, but false for those that are rich.  Now I make my comments understanding that all-inclusive statements are more often than not falsifiable, however, I truly believe overwhelmingly this is the case.  Rich schools with rich students are able to pay for SAT/ACT prep courses and guides or expensive tutors all to increase their chance into getting into college.  I also listened to the teacher tell me how they could not afford to provide books to a 10 student class although it is a state mandated course.  The entire time all I could think about was how we have a governor who can find thousands of the government’s/taxpayers dollars to pay for prostitutes, but no one can find less than 1,000 dollars to buy our nation’s future textbooks for a state required class!  So I say ‘mercy on us’….

 I would like to close on a lighter note.  After visiting the home of the wonderful Linda and Russ (SAU professors who insisted we call them by first name) and riding their horse Tiffany 2 Spot, I along with the rest of the group found ourselves pushing a 15 passenger van out of a muddy trail.  It was so much fun, because after pushing the van out of one spot we pushed it too far back into another and hand to push it out again.  It was definitely a bonding experience…and it’s all thanks to Aaron, just kidding.  Aaron has to be by far the best driver on the trip! 

 Well until next time….

Donte’

p.s. I promise my next blog will be more upbeat :)…

Today is the last official day in Arkansas. It has been great! We started our morning mentoring students on post-secondary plans. I threatened many youth …. As I told them they better follow-up on their plans. For example, one must physically go register at a cosmetology school while another must call the admissions office at a local school to find out the status of her application. Moreover, it has truly been a pleasure getting to know the unique individuals that lie underneath the exterior. I hope that everyone has learned as much as I have during our time at this high school.

Today, I got the opportunity to call the ACT folks, get scores released for a student. Call colleges to find out missing requirements, and then work with students to complete the requirements and fax them immediately. I even had the opportunity to help one young man apply to 5 schools. Afterwards, he began to advocate for the school to throw us a BBQ. It is truly amazing to watch students in route to success.

On Tuesday, we took a group of Stephen students to SAU to sit in on class and have lunch on campus. One of the girls asked me why we had chosen Stephens instead of one of the larger high schools. She stated that Stephens never gets this sort of treatment or is seen as important in comparison to the other schools. This statement took me back, because I realized the education disparity that I’ve been wrestling with in my paper for Social Problems was taking place in Stephens. It’s one thing to read about these under-resourced schools and poverty stricken communities, but to see it is a completely different experience.

The same girl then asked for my contact information. I hesitated because I knew coming on this trip, I would be giving these students hope but I also knew the reality of the situation and my role. I would more than likely not be coming back to Stephens any time soon and though I want to keep in touch with this girl, I know that I can’t possibly do anything to truly help her in the long-term except to be honest with her and state that there is more to life than what you have been exposed to.

As the day continued, our conversations took a personal turn. She had recently moved to Stephens and struggled with her many  issues at home and in finding her voice that I did and still continue to struggle with…Here was a girl who has so much to  give to this world, but lacked any sort of positive influence and guidance.  Wow…makes me think about how lucky I was in having mentors and my support system.

I don’t think this blog is truly able to capture these last few days…but I welcome any dialogue when we return to campus.  I don’t even know the true impact this experience will make on me.

When I first arrived in Stephens I wondered why anyone would like to live in a place like this.  This is a rural area with very few resources, the school is the largest employer of the community! (with a high school student population of around 200)  After speaking with Mr. Cowen and one of the teachers at the school I understand there is a need for educated persons in this community.  There is a need for good role models for these students.  The reason many of the teachers are here at Stephens High School is because they realize there is a need, these teachers could teach anywhere in the nation but they choose to stay here.  I understand there may be other factors keeping them in the community such as family, but I am amazed at how much the facility (I have had the pleasure of meeting) cares about the student body.  Many of the students we have talked about mention they want to leave this area, and I can clearly understand why.  However, it is my hope that these young people will realize how much the community will need them after they are educated because there are students from Stephens that will become college educated.  I hope they will understand the impact they can have on the community and on the world.

Yesterday was amazing. Gamino and I had the opportunity to mentor several juniors and seniors on post-secondary plans. We found the most of the students had thought about their post-secondary plans at some point however, they had given little thought to how to achieve their post-secondary plans. We were able to help students develop some prospective college lists as well as line up conversations with the air force and navy. One thing that was inspiring to see was the side conversations that begin to occur. I witnessed many professionals around the school begin to speak with students in the hallway about the fact most careers require college diplomas. My hope is that SAU will continue our work; it is amazing what a 5 minute conversation can do.

Wednesday we spent our morning at Stephens High School with the students. Some of us went to their classes and some of us offered one-on-one counseling. I helped with the counseling; we asked eleventh and twelfth grade students what they planned to do after high school. Tuesday was the first time we met the students and trying to establish a connection with someone over a couple of days is difficult for anyone. I felt it was especially difficult for us to do establish meaningful relationships with the Stephens High School students because they outnumbered us, we are older and we will only be at the school for a few days.

Yesterday it was easy for me to get to know many students on a superficial level, I learned some new names, I was able to find out what classes they were taking and I found out what their post high school graduation plans were. At the end of yesterday I just felt I hadn’t made enough of a connection with the Stephens High School students. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to speak with a few students one-on-one but most of them felt more comfortable mingling with their group of friends just as we did. Today while the students were sitting in on Dr. Hattery and Dr. Smith’s lecture, many seemed more engaged.

One of the things that really shocked me when conducting the individual counseling sessions was that many of these students just need a little bit of a push. As small and rural as Stephens, AR is there is still pressure from whatever of source to attend college. Most students mentioned that they wanted to go to college and most wanted to get out of the area.One of the most important things I noticed was that they did not really understand the college admission process. Most students had been contacted by colleges and universities in one way or another (through phone calls or via mail).I believe having the individual counseling was beneficial for both them and us; I really felt that I helped make a difference in their perspective. I tried to let them know, the world is out there for you to take it. Schools are contacting you because you are important; I believe it is important for these students to know they have potential.

One of the biggest misconceptions I had was that I believed the students did not want to attend college. Since the principal mentioned that most graduates did not attend college. Many of the students had visited the Southern Arkansas University campus and/or they knew students who attend SAU.These students are intelligent young men and women, they simply lack resources. Although I did not sit in on a classroom I believe it is difficult for teachers at the school to effectively teach and mentor students without adequate resources.Also when young people are in a large group, whether they are meeting new people or are sitting in class, their personality is different than when they are engaged in a serious one-on-one conversation. One of the students I met had applied to schools near Stephens, AR and many out of states schools; she understood the college admission process. However, I believe students like her can also benefit from our visit because we can let them know about the large amounts of scholarship money that is out there.I tried to emphasize to students to apply to colleges and universities early because there are more institutional scholarships offered to those who apply early.

I realized one of the biggest differences between my upbringing and their upbringing is that there were people pushing me to find out if I had completed all the necessary steps needed to apply for college. My parents, teachers and guidance counselor were constantly making sure I understood the process and supported my college related decisions. Whereas many of these students have the desire but lack the support network, and I believe having us here gives them the motivation. Although I know I cannot change the circumstances they live in and I cannot provide them with all the resources they need.But for me speaking with them one-on-one gave me the opportunity to understand how I could really help them.

Unfortunately I believe there are many schools like this throughout the nation, whether they are overpopulated or under-populated and under resourced.I would like to offer my assistance locally to schools like this. I truly believe that if I stay in contact with some of the students I met, even if I just send them an email or letter asking them how they are doing and their college applications are going that will help motivate them to apply to college. I believe every student needs to understand they are valued; colleges and universities are contacting them because they are smart, qualified students. However, some of the students I met did not understand the importance of applying, even if a student is qualified if they did not apply they will not have the opportunity to prove themselves.I will stay in touch with the students I have met because I want to see them succeed and I truly believe they can. There do not need to be any more unemployed people in Stephens, AR or anywhere in the nation, there need to me more people willing to invest in our nation’s future.

So I just haven’t had a chance to write about my experience in the South. I just had been spending most of the time thinking about the general differences I have been observing while on my way to Arkansas, and some other experiences I have had while in the state. Driving from Mississippi to Arkansas one thing I have noticed is the huge gap between the rich and the poor more so than I have noticed from my experiences in other states. Arkansas doesn’t seem like a state in one of the “richest country”. This might be a cliché but for a while I have had this myopic view that America is the land “riches and opportunities”. But from my experience, there is more to the US, than what we see on television. Poverty, although not as comparable to Malawian cases, is prevalent and still exists in America. Even though there are Shanty homes (where usually one notices a sign or life by seeing kids playing outside), I could see by driving through the country side some “sad homes” … (to be continued) I am still an observer and I can not make any conclusions about my experience yet. But,  my current reaction is that something has to be done to help people to get out of economic hardships in here in the American south.

Note: when I get a chance I will write more about my experiences at the schools I have visited. So far I am just shocked and as Michael M. has said ” here is the US is one country where one can observe/have both a developed world education and third- world education”  anyhow, all this well be in my next reflection on the Stephens High School  SAU.

First of all I must say that sitting here 7pm (Arkansas time) trying to recount yesterday’s experiences isn’t the easiest thing to do, but a couple of experiences stuck out to me and those are the ones that I’d like to share.

The first of those experiences was a conversation I had with my father as my brother and I were preparing to leave our room to head to Stephens High School. Passing the phone between one another we were letting him know what all we were going to be doing for the day and the needs we were going to be meeting. I remember his response, he said that “what yall are doing is really important because they need that… you can keep them off these streets.” Now to the average person it may not seem like much, and it shouldn’t, but to me it was so great to hear the voice of my father saying that who I was, where I was, what I was doing was important and needed… I walked out of the dorm and onto the van with an “S” on my chest! Placing this into the context of our service trip, I ask myself how many of the young men I’m engaging have male figures in their life that affirm and confirm who they are?

Secondly, we took a full tour of the school with Principal Cowins. Even though I knew before hand that the high school was grossly underfunded, I was in no way prepared for what I saw. A school that so resembled a church that I thought to myself why are we stopping here until I was informed this was to be our destination. The most telling part of the school’s dilemma (and this is an understatement) was the school library that was literally the same size if not smaller than my elementary school library and we had half of their 400 student population. How in the world are these students being prepared, educationally, to cope with our ever increasing global society without resources as simple as books? I noticed as Principal Cowins was telling us about his struggles of in a sense being a one man administration team, having 64 students leave in the past quarter because their parents can’t find jobs, and having to “let go” some of his teachers he kept a smile on his face. It was not a smile of pleasure. Neither was it the jovial smile that graced the face of our chief of staff as he tapped danced on the White house porch, although his no child left behind act has left behind too many students, as the money they needed went to supporting an unjust war. But it was a smile of hope, that he believes his presence will one day make a difference in the state of Stephens High School. Dear God, help this man be strong!

Finally, we concluded our day with a AWESOME lecture by Dr. Smith that was about the over-representation of African American males in the Division 1A of football and basketball. The take home message was one I’ve been hearing from my parents and many other respected elders for a long time now, but seems to just be making its way to academia: “everybody can’t go to the NBA/NFL so you better pay attention in class.” It’s funny how our country’s brightest are just acknowledging something that grandma knew and she never went to college. So in closing I have some advice, as I pull from my racial and ethnic roots, for whoever our next President is to be: All governmental officials including the President must be continually advised by a group with a minimum of 5 “Big Mama’s!”

Dear God, strengthen our hands to work, our hearts to love, and our spirits to know you -Amen

 Community is such a big word.  It’s the single most developing factor that has contributed to the society of Stephens as we know it.  There is such warmth that captures you as you enter the town, something quite unexpected since we knew that we’d only be there for a few days.  We finally went into Stephens High School yesterday and were able to interact with a few of the students.  But we were first met by Mr. Cowen, the principal of the high school.  He gave us a tour throughout the entire campus and introduced us to life at Stephens.  I learned that that high school is what brings more people together in Stephens than any other event or function.  Their basketball team is one of the best in Arkansas and the players are all great guys.  The high school itself is also the highest employer of jobs, pretty staggering or in the words of Dr. Smith, “mind-boggling”.  

We later brought them to Southern Arkansas and gave them a tour of the campus.  We later took them into a class to hear a lecture by Dr. Smith and Dr. Hattery who were expressing the importance of education in today’s society.  During this discussion is where I encountered my first point of uneasiness.  There was a mix of SAU, Wake, and Stephens students all hearing the same information, though receiving it in many different ways.  The common struggle that I’ve been aware of is how to integrate one’s personal opinion into another society or culture without making the other group of people feel as though you don’t appreciate their lifestyle or degrade their sense of identity.  In telling many people that they shouldn’t drop out of high school to find work initially seems to undermine their circumstances, especially from a group of people who can’t seem to relate to their situations.  Of course many were angry, while others were confused, and the young students of Stephens were caught in the middle, some already unsure of what their futures held for them.  As much as some wanted to find comfort in “life as they knew it”, the pressing fact was that we’re not able to lead the lives of those that our previous generations did.  The world is so rapidly evolving that we risk getting left behind if we don’t do something to move forward.

During the lecture, one young lady commented that college wasn’t for everyone, to which I internally responded that society is now telling us that healthcare isn’t for everyone, so we give up.  If gas prices are too high, then cars aren’t for everyone.  The time has come for us all, to shift our perspectives and escape from the chains of the structured mentality of our situation that tell us to be content move forward, rather than the fact that it’s okay to be dissatisfied and to want more out of life.  My passion, more than ever, is for others to be able to do just that, to think outside of the box and desire life and all that it has to offer.  Please do not construe this into thinking that I believe that everyone should be a millionaire, rather I feel as though with the proper awareness, our expectancies and motivations towards life will make us better people.  Even desire with one generation can transfer into effort and persistency with the next.  I expect the students of Stephens that we’ve interacted with not to do something that will reflect our presence in their lives, but to do something for others where their presence will have a crucial impact.  Before that day was over, I knew that this was the final message that I wanted to leave with these individuals.  They are the future of Stephens and it is our collective faith in them that will propel them into their destiny.  I have been tremendously inspired by them and pray that their futures are in good hands.  Stephens needs them, and the world awaits them.

 Community is such a big word.  It’s the single most developing factor that has contributed to the society of Stephens as we know it.  There is such warmth that captures you as you enter the town, something quite unexpected since we knew that we’d only be there for a few days.  We finally went into Stephens High School yesterday and were able to interact with a few of the students.  But we were first met by Mr. Cowen, the principal of the high school.  He gave us a tour throughout the entire campus and introduced us to life at Stephens.  I learned that that high school is what brings more people together in Stephens than any other event or function.  Their basketball team is one of the best in Arkansas and the players are all great guys.  The high school itself is also the highest employer of jobs, pretty staggering or in the words of Dr. Smith, “mind-boggling”.  

We later brought them to Southern Arkansas and gave them a tour of the campus.  We later took them into a class to hear a lecture by Dr. Smith and Dr. Hattery who were expressing the importance of education in today’s society.  During this discussion is where I encountered my first point of uneasiness.  There was a mix of SAU, Wake, and Stephens students all hearing the same information, though receiving it in many different ways.  The common struggle that I’ve been aware of is how to integrate one’s personal opinion into another society or culture without making the other group of people feel as though you don’t appreciate their lifestyle or degrade their sense of identity.  In telling many people that they shouldn’t drop out of high school to find work initially seems to undermine their circumstances, especially from a group of people who can’t seem to relate to their situations.  Of course many were angry, while others were confused, and the young students of Stephens were caught in the middle, some already unsure of what their futures held for them.  As much as some wanted to find comfort in “life as they knew it”, the pressing fact was that we’re not able to lead the lives of those that our previous generations did.  The world is so rapidly evolving that we risk getting left behind if we don’t do something to move forward.

During the lecture, one young lady commented that college wasn’t for everyone, to which I internally responded that society is now telling us that healthcare isn’t for everyone, so we give up.  If gas prices are too high, then cars aren’t for everyone.  The time has come for us all, to shift our perspectives and escape from the chains of the structured mentality of our situation that tell us to be content move forward, rather than the fact that it’s okay to be dissatisfied and to want more out of life.  My passion, more than ever, is for others to be able to do just that, to think outside of the box and desire life and all that it has to offer.  Please do not construe this into thinking that I believe that everyone should be a millionaire, rather I feel as though with the proper awareness, our expectancies and motivations towards life will make us better people.  Even desire with one generation can transfer into effort and persistency with the next.  I expect the students of Stephens that we’ve interacted with not to do something that will reflect our presence in their lives, but to do something for others where their presence will have a crucial impact.  Before that day was over, I knew that this was the final message that I wanted to leave with these individuals.  They are the future of Stephens and it is our collective faith in them that will propel them into their destiny.  I have been tremendously inspired by them and pray that their futures are in good hands.  Stephens needs them, and the world awaits them.