And the 2014 Amazing Parent Award Recipients Are . . .

The Third Time Really is a Charm--Recognizing Prince George’s County Parents

Hyattsville, MD | On June 6, 2014, In Reach, Inc., held its Third Annual Celebrating Amazing Prince George’s County Parents Awards Program, an event honoring outstanding parents with children currently enrolled in a Prince George’s County Public School. 

“I am very pleased with our third annual celebration of Amazing Parents and congratulate each nominee and their nominator for being simply amazing,” said Executive Director, Ms. Toni Smith.

Congratulations again to our three 2014 Amazing Parent Award Recipients:

Ms. Alexia Clark, recipient of the Parks and Recreation Amazing Parent Award for being an awesome and dedicated bridge builder in the lives of children.

Mr. Jeff Warner, recipient of the In Reach, Inc. Amazing Parent Award for being an all around selfless individual, active in the school and community, and an incredible parent who best demonstrates a well-rounded presence.

Ms. Diane Traweek, recipient of the Ingrid M. Turner Amazing Parent Award for demonstrating a strong sense of community as a volunteer, coach and mentor.

In Reach would also like to thank all 32 of the 2014 nominees: Mr. Samuel & Mrs. Fatima Alfa, Ms. Alexia Clark, Mr. Willie & Mrs. Roberta Cooper, Mr. Jeffrey & Mrs. Bobbie Dewhurst, Ms. Monica Ferguson, Ms. DeLisa French, Ms. Cynthia Gray, Ms. Karen Hackett, Ms. Lorrie Ann Hyatt, Ms. Erica Johnson, Ms. Tarsha Deanna Jones, Ms. Sharon M. Lewis, Ms. Ana Moran, Ms. Josephine Moss-Nelson, Ms. Alicia Nelson, Ms. Anabel Nolasco, Ms. Lisa Ojeda-Brown, Ms. Mary Pollard-Jamison, Mr. Michael B. Rather, Ms. Elizabeth Santos, Ms. Deidra Speight, Mr. Terry & Mrs. Lori Thomas, Ms. Diane Traweek, Mr. Jeff Warner, Ms. Christine Monaco Williams, Ms. Andrea D. Williamson, Mrs. Geiner Janet Winkey, and Ms. Tia Yisrael.

“I commend and applaud In Reach, Inc. and the efforts of Executive Director Toni Smith for recognizing and celebrating Amazing Parents in Prince George s County. Parents are the most important role model in their child’s life and the nominees for the Amazing Parent award have certainly set a tremendous example. They have provided outstanding community service and invested time in our schools through their work in parent teacher associations, youth groups and mentoring programs all while raising and supporting their own children in every aspect of their lives. Congratulations to all of the Amazing Prince George’s County Parents,” commented Council Member Ingrid M. Turner, Esq., (District 4).  

In Reach thanks all of the individuals and sponsors who helped make the Third Annual Celebrating Amazing Prince George’s County Parents Awards Program a success especially Ms. Ingrid Harrison on behalf of Council Member Ingrid M. Turner; Ms. Shawna Fachet of the Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation; Ms. Amber Waller, Prince George’s County Board of Education, District 3; and In Reach's Board of Directors.

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In Reach, Inc., is a tax exempt 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization designed to prepare students for college, work and life. Founded in 1999, In Reach envisions healthy, productive and prepared young adults in every family. To learn more about our work, visit www.inreachinc.org.

Congratulations to our very own Sagen Kidane!

We are so very proud of our very own, Sagen Kidane, for being selected at the Prince George's County Public Schools' Scholar of the Week, March 10-14.

Sagen is an excellent student and amazing young lady. An active member of the Youth Ambassadors @ Parkdale High School since her sophomore year, she also was a participant in In Reach's Quantum Project during middle school. We are so excited for Sagen and look forward to supporting her through the next chapter of her life as her high school years soon come to a close and she prepares to head off to college in the fall.

Read the full PGCPS write-up.

Surprise! Unexpected Gifts Received from Reading

Looking for a new e-read? We have just the e-book for you.

Surprise! Unexpected Gifts Received from Reading is a fantastic e-book written by Library Media Specialist Bianca Johnson. It is an informative, inventive and engaging read. The layout and use of a variety of media - video, news articles and art - to deliver thoughtful and relevant messages meant to inspire reading is creative.

An educational tool for formal and informal settings, with students of various ages and grade levels, and adults, young and seasoned alike.

Currently only available for the iPad.


Ms. Johnson is the Library Media Specialist at Parkdale High School, a Prince George's County Public School in Maryland and an In Reach partner school.

A Day Off from School - The Perfect Time to Learn Something New!

@ Ski Liberty in Pennsylvania
 

We always encourage our students to try something new - they just may like it. Ten brave Youth Ambassadors did just that on their very first ski trip on their day off from school.They were awesome and here are the pictures to prove it!!!

Reflections of High School Youth Ambassador - The Fears & Excitement of Graduating High School

Finishing high school and getting ready for college is definitely one of the most exciting parts about the transition from teenager to adult, but it's also one of the most nerve-wracking. It's scary to think that all of those years of grade school will eventually trickle down into just a few moments of opening college application results and walking across a stage in a cap and gown.

There are various inevitable fears and excitements that come along with graduating high school. We students understand that once the school year ends, our lives will never be the same. Naturally, it may sometimes be hard for parents or mentors to understand what's going through our heads as we prepare to say goodbye to the comfort of high school. With this in mind, I conducted a survey amongst my peers, asking them what their fears and excitements about graduating high school and moving on to college are.

Although no two of my peers had the exact same response, our fears and excitements seem to generally be the same. As much as we are excited to experience new things – make new friends, visit new places, and be grown up and independent – we are also scared to leave the comfort and familiarity of home and the everyday rituals of attending high school. We are afraid that all of our hard work will not be enough to get us into our dream schools, or that we might not like it when we get there.

In about a year or so, I will be the first in my immediate family to attend college. At first, although I was thrilled to be on the path to achieving something that no one in my family has achieved before, I felt alone in the whole ordeal, and was intimidated by the high school to college transitional process that awaits me. Thankfully, the Youth Ambassadors Program, which understands this situation very well and is aware that there are many students out there who are in that same situation, has been here to provide me with the guidance that I need to walk down a path that is unfamiliar to both my family and me.

Through my experience as a Youth Ambassador, I have come to believe that some of the best ways to make the transition from high school to college less frightening and more exciting for students is for parents, teachers, counselors, and/or mentors to work together to offer advice to students about graduation and college. Hearing about the experiences of others can be comforting. Answer any questions that students may have, since learning about something and being more familiar with it can help make it seem less intimidating, and provide college tours for students to various campuses so they can decide what they like and don't like, thus preventing the fear of uncertainty. And, if you are a parent that has not attended college, remember that senioritis (the bug that causes high school seniors to lose interest in high school) will definitely be in the air and your son or daughter is counting on you to prevent them from giving up or losing sight of their goals.

All in all, it is important to remember that although it can be stressful, graduating high school is a very exciting journey, and a perfect memory-making time for both students and their loved ones.

 

Djellza Ramadani 

Reflections of a High School Youth Ambassador - Introductory Post

In Reach is so pleased to present the first of many posts capturing the thoughts of one of our most beloved students and summer intern, Djellza Ramadani (affectionately known as DJ), whom we have watched grow into a wonderful young lady since seventh grade. It is our hope that, if you work with students, you will continue to be inspired by her posts and, if you don't, that you will be encouraged to become a mentor, collaborate with a local program to participate as a speaker, for example, or make a financial contribution to one of the many committed community-based organizations like In Reach that work with students every day to prepare them for college, work and life. Enjoy!
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Excited that it's almost over yet sad to see it ending. This is the emotional roller-coaster that many high school seniors will go through as their high school experience comes to an end. I am Djellza Ramadani: a proud Youth Ambassador and, you guessed it, a newly promoted senior in high school. I remember first claiming and rooting for my graduating class, "the class of 2014," back during my freshman year. At the time, my graduating year was no more than a number to me, and, like many of my classmates, I did not expect time to ever pass by as quickly as it has. Now, I realize that the year 2014 is right around the corner, and I've got to be ready for it.

Thankfully, my experience as a High School Youth Ambassador has provided me with a college-ready mindset. I can honestly say that I am emotionally prepared to conquer my final year of high school and also successfully plan out a path toward achieving a secondary education. To get the most out of my high school classes, as well as to challenge myself, I enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program at my school (Parkdale High). The incredible abundance of assignments and pressure to excel in them encouraged me to make my schoolwork my ultimate priority, which is fortunate since colleges take academics into great consideration when admitting students. However, this was not enough for me; I wanted to do more and experience more. Although my commitment to my academics made it difficult for me to participate in many extra curricular activities, I knew that the Youth Ambassadors program would be worth it, since it would enable me to broaden my horizons, learn things I can not learn in my school textbooks, and ultimately become a more well-rounded person.

Participating in the Youth Ambassadors program also gave me a sense of self-satisfaction since, as a Youth Ambassador, I was given the opportunity to not only help others through community service, which was very important to me, but also to get to know myself better. I was able to realize where my strengths lie as well as develop new skills in areas that interest me. Because of everything that I have accomplished as a Youth Ambassador, I can confidently claim that I want to pursue a career in public relations/journalism in the future. I would like to be the voice of one of the non-profit organizations that I was introduced to in the program, such as UNICEF, for example. I realize that the future is truly in the hands of my peers and me, and we've got to make it as great as we can.

I know that I have a long way to go before I can have my dream career. However, I can now better understand the steps I have to take to get there. Coming to this understanding was a journey of its own, and my next journey will be taking my final steps as a high school student. It would be my pleasure to share this experience with you. The world around us continues to change, but one thing remains the same: everything must be done one step at a time.