Celebrating Our Youth...Rites of Passage

A mentoring/rites of passage group known as Kisura (kis-ur-a) a Swahili  word for gorgeously beautiful lady and Lions of Judah in Richmond, VA  celebrated 12 young adults who are entering into adulthood.  Kisura and Lions of Judah are mentoring small groups from St. Paul's Baptist Church for 9th-12th graders. They meet between September - May on Wednesday evenings to discuss everything from college and career preparation, relationships and self esteem to etiquette do's and don'ts.

The 12 teens were presented to the congregation by their pastor, Dr. Lance Watson.  During this presentation the mentors assigned their mentee with a biblical and African name depicting one of their strengths and qualities.  Pastor Watson, read to the congregation a list of accolades that each graduate had obtained during their high school years, which brought the church to their feet in applauds.  All 12 teen teens will be attending college, 2 of them on a full academic scholarship!

Here's to these 12 young adults and every young person persevering to make their dreams a reality.

If you know a young adult of organization that is doing great things please share their accomplishments. Let's display our positive attributes instead of the negative attention the media likes to portray.

Dee Carter

High School Graduation Numbers on the Rise

Whoever you are, wherever you live, you probably know of a teenager about to graduate from high school.  According to the Department of Education the high school graduation rate has reach its highest level in 30 years. Although this may be true, the public high school dropout rate for minorities ( Native American, African American and Hispanic) are still high.

So today, I  celebrate every high school student who has pushed themselves to reach this milestone of high school graduate. This accomplishment is not reached single handedly and is often times achieved through the collective efforts of parents, extended family, educators and mentors... "The Village."   Now the question is "where do they go from here?" 

Economic stability is related to our level of education. The United States used to lead the world in college attainment but now is ranked 14th in the world!  "This is unacceptable" as stated by Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education.  Currently, 39 percent of adults 25-34 have a 2-4 year degree. In order for the U. S. to be first in the world again this percentage must almost double to 60 percent.
This is one of the goals of the Obama administration to reach by 2020.  One measure that must take place for our ranking to improve is the stability in tuition cost.   Only time can tell if this is a realistic goal.

In the meantime, encourage and support every high school student you know to seek higher learning. There are funds available through scholarships, grants and loans which will allow them to achieve their career goals.

Dee Carter     June 8, 2013