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Spotlight: CEIS
As an active parent, Ryan Harman spends his free time volunteering in the schools. “I have kids in the school system so it’s important for me to know what’s going on in the school,” stated Harman. The father of three girls, one of whom is a student at Charles England Intermediate School, has found out what it’s like to now have boys in his life - more specifically, two fifth graders named Brandon and Jai’Ante. Last year while Harman was at CEIS volunteering, he was spending time reading with and just being a friend to Brandon, a then 4th grade student. The two meshed so well that Site Coordinator Kathy Hester saw it as an opportunity to get Harman involved as a Communities In Schools mentor. But it didn’t stop with Brandon because Harman would soon meet Jai’Ante. Harman met Jai’Ante this year after learning that he had a few encounters with his daughter. Seeing himself as a protective father, he introduced himself to Jai’Ante. Harman then realized all Jai’Ante needed was someone to talk to. “The students look forward to Ryan coming each week. A huge smile breaks out on their faces when he appears. Ryan has been a bright spot in the lives of two young men and they have formed a wonderful bond. He is committed to his students and to helping them in any way possible. He provides new and different experiences for them and has shown them a world of possibilities. They are working hard in school to achieve their goals. Ryan has made a difference in the lives of two young men,” commented Hester. Harman recognizes Brandon and Jai’Ante as unique individuals with different needs. “Jai is a very smart kid, but he struggles with his behavior. I keep reminding him that you can help yourself a lot if you stay out of it (referring to avoiding letting other kids bring him down). With Brandon, he’s a good kid, he just needed help in recognizing his self-confidence.” “It’s fun, he makes me laugh a lot. We read books and he has helped me bring up my grades. The other kids in my class wish they had a mentor like Ryan. I want him to stay with my all the way through graduation!” exclaimed Brandon. You won’t hear Jai’Ante complain about having Harman as a mentor either - “I can talk to him about anything. When I get into trouble or have a bad day, I talk to him about it and it helps me out.” “We can either serve these kids now when we have a chance to make a huge positive impact or later in life in the form of another agency. CIS gives these at risk kids a new lease on life that now has hope,” asserted Harman.
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August 2010 Newsletter
