Recently, I was asked by Suzanne Conley if I could come to Kelly High School here in Chicago, and speak to the students in the AVID program. I wasn't too sure what I was going to speak about because this was the first time anyone had asked me to present 366 Random Acts in this type of setting. Luckily, the kids couldn't have been more welcoming and interactive. I was asked some of the better questions I have been asked since starting this journey, and received some awesome random act suggestions (see you guys in April and May!). The students presented me with a T-Shirt that they had made for today (see below). The AVID program is "a college prep program that works with typically under-served students in the academic middle be successful in high school and reach their dreams of going to college." I could go on and on about how great these kids were and explain all the benefits of the AVID program, but I thought I would let the students explain AVID and what it means to them.
"AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a program trying to help kids get to college and be successful"
"It allows us to get involved in extracurricular activities to help us on our college applications and gain scholarships for college"
"AVID helps us become well-rounded students"
"We spend time working on speaking in front of groups"
"We do fundraising for a school in Africa, called Nyaka, that gives free eduction."
"AVID prepares you to be leaders inside and outside of school. It also helps us to inspire other teens to pay it forward"
"We take time to give back to the community through service"
"We are in charge of planning and scheduling AVID events."
"We are challenged to better read and interpret our schoolwork and problems rather than going for the quick answer."
"We don't consider AVID to be a program and a club. We are a family."
Today, these kids made me feel like I was a part of their family, and I look forward to working with them in the future to continue to pay it forward!
This is simply lovely, keep up the great works!
ReplyDelete~Mo
www.mokekumileicreations.com
Just in case you needed any proof that you're making a difference :)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteWay to go.... talk about validation!!!!Keep it up!!
ReplyDeleteWay to got Kelly High School and the students in the AVID program!! Keep up the great job, R!!!
ReplyDeleteNice! Those sound like really great kids, and determination can get you anywhere you want to go in life!
ReplyDeleteAlissa
ripleyadoption.blogspot.com
I love the who idea of the 366 random kindness.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered the blog and fell in love with what you are doing.
Keep it up!!
Lex
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI discovered this blog because Guy G. left a very kind comment on one of my blog posts (http://singleagainonlinediary.blogspot.com/2010/09/hallelujah-for-dad.html) When I clicked to his profile, I saw he was subscribed to this blog, so he led me here only to discover this very interesting blog.
Keep up the great work! And if Guy G is reading this, thank you!
Olá Ryan! Estava passando quando avistei teu espaço, invadi e não resisti em dizer que o mesmo é muito interessante, bastante bonito e muito bem ilustrado. Parabéns!
ReplyDeleteAbraços e muita paz pra ti e para os teus.
Furtado.