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 Academy of Hope's
The Literacy Connection
Volume XXIV Issue 3 Summer 2009
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Dear Friends,
This season's newsletter comes to you by email as part of our effort to reduce expenses and minimize our impact on the environment.
The past year has brought tough times for so many people in our community. At Academy of Hope, we have witnessed the impact of our nation's economic challenges firsthand as the newly unemployed and underemployed turn to us so that they can build their skills and increase their opportunities in the job market.
Indeed, over the last several months, enrollment at Academy of Hope has surged. New students who come through our doors are telling us that we are their beacon of hope.
At the same time, nonprofit organizations, Academy of Hope included, have had to make tough choices and operate with fewer resources, even as the demand for services increases.
I must admit that there are some days that I feel overwhelmed by the many challenges we are facing, but those feelings never last for long. Why? Because I am surrounded by inspirational people - the students at AoH - many of who have faced and overcome bigger challenges than most people ever encounter.
Because of our students, the board has recommitted themselves to the mission of Academy of Hope and developed a five point plan that will guide their work through the next fiscal year.
This issue of the newsletter also features some of AoH's inspirational events including our 14th annual Spelling Bee and our June 2009 graduation ceremony. We hope you'll join us for some of the events we have planned for 2009-10 including our Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walk, the Breakfast for Literacy, and the kick-off our our year long 25th anniversary celebration. Keep your eye on our website for information about upcoming events.
And, if you need a little inspiration in your life, we have many opportunities for you to support our work as a mentor, tutor, or donor. Your support is more important now than ever before. Please consider volunteering and making a contribution to Academy of Hope before the end of our fiscal year, August 31, 2009.
Finally, I want to recognize my outstanding staff and cadre of volunteers who have made this year an amazing success.
On behalf of everyone at Academy of Hope, enjoy the waning days of summer.
Warmest regards,
Lecester Johnson
Executive Director
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In This Issue:
Recent Events:
• Graduation 2009
• Spelling Bee
New at the Hope:
• Student Leadership Association
Student Spotlight:
• Student Profile
• Hope Writes
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Recent Events
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Ceremony Honors Hard-Work, Celebrates Hope
By Annie Murphy, Instructor
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The 2009 Graduates turn their Tassles
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She took her fellow students' words to heart. When she was late for graduation practice, the other students told Ann During, an EDP graduate, to leave home at 3:00 pm the following day to ensure that she would arrive at the graduation exercises by 6:00 pm.
On Friday, June 26, Ann During arrived at Academy of Hope at 5:00 pm, having left her home at 2:00 pm to allow enough time to transfer between several bus lines.
DeBora Miles-Brown, a fellow EDP graduate, also arrived early, eager to put on her cap and gown. Like many of the graduates, Miles-Brown was well supported by family and friends - specifically, three daughters, eight grandchildren, three church members, and two neighbors.
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GRADUATES AT A GLANCE
14
GED Recipients
10
Completed
External Diploma Program
11
Parents
20-66
Age Range of 2008-2009 Graduates
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Hazel Denton then presented the Trevor DaCosta Volunteer Recognition Award to volunteers who have served the students at Academy of Hope for five years or more. Four exceptional volunteers, Tanya Beauchamp, Leslie Carroll, Mary Findley, and Tim Romp, were honored this year.
Then, community member Eugene Thomas brought the audience and honorees back into the spirit of graduation with a stirring performance of the song, "You Raise Me Up." Attention shifted to the graduates as Academy of Hope staff and volunteers honored each of the graduates individually with anecdotes about the students' struggles and achievements during their time at Academy of Hope. Their heartfelt words testified to the graduates' abilities to balance family matters and school work, desires to improve the lives of their children, and refusal to stop before reaching their potential.
Three graduates, Deborah Watson-Simmons, and Michael Cola, plan to return to Academy of Hope in the Pathways to Success program which helps students prepare for college. Esan Sumner will continue working as an independent contractor, James Huff enjoys his job as a Metrobus Operator and will be going on to Washington Bible College in the fall, and DeBora Miles-Brown is thrilled with her new job as a psychiatric technician at Washington Hospital Center.
Whether the Academy of Hope graduates from 2009 are starting a new job or pursuing higher education, they are approaching the next phase of their lives with the knowledge that their hopes can - and will - be fulfilled.
-Back to Contents-
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Spelling with Style:
The 14th Annual Corporate Spelling Bee
By Jessica Wabler, Instructor
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The spirit of competition is in the air. The spellers sit on the edge of their seats, fingers twitching over the buzzers. The pronouncer speaks: “The next word is Slavic in origin-” Buzz!
The audience dissolves into laughter as the emcee, NPR's Ari Shapiro, chides the Development Divas for their overzealous buzzing and threatens to make them spell the word without hearing it.
The spellers shift once again into predatory buzzing positions, fingers hovering in anticipation…
Want to BEE in Next Year's Competition?
Participating in the Spelling Bee is a great way to support AoH while showing off your spelling ability and/or embarrasing yourself...
Planning has already begun for next year's Bee and we will begin recruiting teams early on this year.
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The 14th annual Academy of Hope Corporate Spelling Bee was an evening of wordsmithing, laughter, camaraderie, and good causes.
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The Development Divas, a trio of DC women in the development field, ended the night with a trophy in-hand
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It began at 6:00 PM on June 4th with an hour of cocktails and reggae music provided by AoH student Kenneth Ambrose. Teams, presenters, and guests munched on platters of delectable food, perused our donated silent auction items, and read excerpts from "Hope Writes," the 2009 Anthology of Student Writing.
The real excitement, however, didn't start until 7:00, when Executive Director, Lecester Johnson, stepped forward to introduce the spelling teams.
Six teams accepted the AoH spelling challenge: Development Divas, American Institutes for Research, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), Navigant Consulting, Literacy Volunteers and Advocates, and Academy of Hope's own volunteer-staffed team.
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Ari kept things moving from the podium.
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NPR Correspondent Ari Shapiro donated his time and talents as the event emcee, and ABC reporter Denise Dory pronounced the difficult words with aplomb. Judges Marie C. Johns and Cherita Whiting had the unenviable task of resolving controversies.
The competition was fierce, and buzzing indiscretions littered the landscape. Navigant Consulting, Literacy Volunteers and Advocates, and Development Divas were often neck-and-neck-and-neck. When the smoke cleared, the Development Divas carried off the trophy - thanks to their frenetic buzzing abilities and plenty of Slavic words - and Academy of Hope received over $13,000 to fund its educational programs.
Over the next year, the students, staff, and volunteers of Academy of Hope will appreciate the generosity of all those who participated in this year's Spelling Bee - and we'll be training for the next one!
-Back to Contents-
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| Recent Events |
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Student Leaders Represent at AoH
By Sara Luley, Instructor
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Evening Student Leaders Dorothy Reese & William Brock
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A recent addition to Academy of Hope is the Student Leadership Association (SLA), which held its first election last fall, and voted in two student representatives from each classtime (morning, afternoon, and evening.)
The group has already taken an active role by setting up a student-led Saturday study group at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library for students who are unable to attend Friday morning tutoring.
The student reps held their first meeting after participating in the Help the Homeless Walk on November 22nd. Over lunch, the student leaders along with their faculty advisor, instructor Sara Luley, discussed ideas for student-led change at Academy of Hope.
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“I think that sometimes other students can understand us best when we’re having problems in our life...”
- William Brock
Evening Representative
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They provided input from their firsthand experience on how the school might improve new student retention and better accommodate the busy schedules of evening students who are struggling through difficult times.
The representatives also participated in new-student orientation to greet the first-time students and offer advice for sticking with class work, despite full schedules and hectic lives. “I think that sometimes other students can understand us best when we’re having problems in our life,” said SLA representative William Brock, “It’s good to know that we’re there for each other to call when someone needs their confidence built up, or to give them that extra drive.”
-Back to Contents-
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Student Spotlight
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By Carla Smith, Instructor
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Mildred, (left) with AoH co-founder Marja Hilfiker
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Staff members interrupted the recent summer term orientation with a cake and candles as they sang "Happy Birthday" to AoH's first-ever octogenarian. When 80-year old Mildred heard her name in the middle of the song she became overjoyed and her eyes filled with tears.
Originally from North Carolina, Mildred moved to D.C. with her mother in 1930. After finishing third grade, Mildred left her school and her family and began supporting herself. At 16 she decided to return to school but was interrupted by a more important matter, the birth of her first daughter.
In 1965, Mildred married, and she and her husband were together until he passed away in 1986. She worked for SIC, a food company that caters to government buildings, and raised her two daughters. Now retired, she loves to read, learn, and cook. She believes that nobody is ever too old to learn.
When asked about her favorite part of Academy of Hope, she replied: "I truly enjoy everything! The staff is nice and the classes are great, and I have learned a lot."
She commented to all those in attendance at her surprise birthday party: "Thank you so much for my cake and singing, you will never know what that meant to me!"
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Community Anthology still Available...
Limited copies of Hope Writes, AoH's community anthology, are still available.
CLICK HERE TO READ EXCERPTS OF STUDENT WRITING
The anthology showcases writing and artwork from students and other community members.
Get yours for only $10
Contact Ed at Ed@aohdc.org, or call 202-269-6623.
Special thanks to The Raben Group for their assistance in the production of the 2009 anthology.
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