Success Stories

Meet some of our mountain movers and obstacle destroyers.  You know them as students.  Communities In Schools knows them as young people who have overcome overwhelming odds to stay in school and on a path that will take them to dreams realized.

All Success Stories

  • Paying it Forward

    Cory Bennett got good grades but struggled with guidance and direction. Then he was connected with a Communities In Schools site coordinator. Now, Cory is a site coordinator himself and helping students achieve their full potential.

  • Finding Her Way

    Talitha lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. But now she's starting college and on the road to making her dreams a reality.

  • Achieving her Dream

    At 14, Rasheedah felt directionless. Now, she's a successful lawyer and helping others.

  • Building Trust: What Being a Site Coordinator Means to Me

    While my education supplies me with the foundation to be a successful site coordinator, I believe the one true skill you need is the ability to form a strong and healthy relationship with the students enrolled at your school. The trust that I build with students allows them to have someone they can talk to in times of need.

  • Dedicated to Making a Difference

    Upon graduating from college, Britton desired to use her knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

  • Home, At Last

    Daniel Williams was facing homelessness but is now shooting for the stars.

  • Sharing the Hope

    Thanks to her Communities In Schools mentor, Ashlin and her family now have the resources they need to thrive.

  • First In Her Family

    Rachel Wise, a Communities In Schools of Charlotte student, will be the first in her family to graduate from high school. Her story electrified a summit of education leaders.

  • Electing Success

    As a teen mother, Rasheedah Phillips hung on to her aspirations, finding her way to Communities in Schools and the support she needed to graduate. Having completed college, she’s parenting her daughter and attending law school.

  • A Dream Fulfilled

    Patrick Pope looks like a typical college student. But there was a time when even finishing high school was not a sure thing. His family had gone through some hard times and Patrick needed help. He found it in Communities In Schools.

  • Bringing It Home

    When a child’s world is falling apart, school may be the last thing on his mind. Kenya McCormick knows all about that and also knows that a world can be rebuilt.

  • Reaching for the Stars

    With the help of family and friends and the support and assistance of Communities In Schools, Celeste Juarez found a way to move beyond her physical constraints and be a role model for disabled and able-bodied children alike.

  • Stepping Out with Confidence

    Communities In Schools gave Jasmine Mann the confidence to excel in high school and move on to North Carolina Wesleyan College where she is confidently pursuing her dreams of a business career.

  • Life Support

    One step away from expulsion, Precious Oliver found Communities In Schools and turned herself in another direction, this one marked “Success.”

  • Building a Solid Foundation for the Future

    Mecca McMillian dropped out of high school. Then, with her mother’s help, she found exactly what she needed: a Communities In Schools nontraditional learning environment.

  • Coming Full Circle

    A few years ago, Eve McKinsey would have laughed at the idea of becoming a teacher. At risk academically and deeply unhappy, she was referred to Communities In Schools. Today, she works at Communities In Schools while attending college to get her education degree.

  • Rising Above Circumstances

    Judging by statistics alone, Kami Hunt should have dropped out of school long ago. Instead, she graduated early and is now in college.

  • Rewriting the Script

    Expelled from school and involved in gangs, Irvin Navarro was on his way to becoming just another sad story. Then his little brother was born and Irvin realized he needed to change. With the help of Communities In Schools, Irvin rewrote his story.

  • The Chance to Blossom

    Jonee Coleman enjoys the many opportunities that Communities In Schools has brought to her and her classmates at the Reynaldo Martinez Middle School in Las Vegas, Nev., from the Career Club to birthday parties.

  • Finding Enough Hours in the Day

    Imani Lewis has a long list of goals and the ambition to complete them. She needed an academic environment that would help her move at the pace she wanted and found it at the Communities In Schools Bulloch County Performance Learning Center®.

  • A Path to Success

    For Yeana Carbajal, born with cerebral palsy, every day seemed impossible to get through, let alone the rest of her life...until she met the Communities in Schools coordinator at her school. Now she sees a clear path ahead to a bright future.

  • Taking the Possibilities Seriously

    Kevin Beck is a serious young man who makes above-average grades in his college classes while working a full-time job. But if it weren’t for Communities In Schools and his family, he could have been a high school dropout.

  • Crossing the Stage

    Stephen Donaldson did something he wasn’t sure he would ever do: He crossed a stage to get his high school diploma. And he’d be the first person to tell you it wouldn’t have happened without the support of Communities In Schools.

  • A Clear Road Ahead

    Lamantice Givens was sure he didn’t want to be hanging out with people who never graduated from high school. He also knew he would need help to make sure he wasn’t one of them and he found it through Communities In Schools.

  • Getting Ready to Fly

    Despite some bumps in the road, Robert Guy is on his way to meeting his goal of becoming a lawyer. Attending a Communities In Schools’ Performance Learning Center in Athens, Georgia gave him the tools he needed for the journey.

  • Ready for the Next Challenge

    When Brandon Warren was connected with Communities In Schools, we asked how we could help. And his answer was ready: “Help me get a college degree.” Today, as a freshman at Florida A&M, he’s well on his way.

  • Smiling Toward Tomorrow

    Alexis Arteaga is the first person in her family to attend college. And she’s happy to tell you that she wouldn’t be a college student if it weren’t for the assistance and support she got from Communities In Schools.

  • From Communities In Schools to U.S. Congressional Page

    Communities In Schools proudly salutes Talitha Halley, a student served by Communities In Schools of Houston. Talitha was sworn in on January 24th as a Congressional Page in the U.S. House of Representatives Page Program.

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