You just never know!!

(This photo actually has little to do with the subject at hand, except that it shows me in a classroom - and I want to talk about an experience with a former student - but I don't have a picture of him or the class he was in.  You get my drift!!  Also it's an old photograph when I was much thinner - so it makes me feel like all things are possible!)

The other night a young man came to the door asking for donations for the MHS football team.  He was on the Varsity squad.  He was a nice polite young man - and I like to support the local team - so I donated.

Then tonight, as I was heading into Pavilions, I noticed what looked like another local high school football player soliciting donations outside the market.  Well, I thought, I'll just tell him I "gave at the office!" and that should take care of that.

So imagine my surprise as I got closer, and the young man said, "Mrs. Terrill!  How would you like to support the football team?"

What made this even better?  This boy was basically kicked out of Clifton and sent to the alternative school.  He couldn't follow instructions or do his work or stay out of trouble.  And he was a former student of mine.  I'd like to say I'd always known he would "make good" but that would not be true.  I had visited his home a time or two trying to figure out how to help change his behavior - maybe with some home support!  I was relieved when I no longer had to contend with him daily.  

I will say that I had always liked him - underneath that "tough guy" exterior I usually saw a young boy who was floundering - but he didn't seem to know how to take help - and after a while I got frustrated.  Bill Card once told me, "Barbara, sometimes you just have to give up on some kids and go help the ones who will take your help."  And that's what I had done.

This young man told me that he had a 2.7 gpa, was planning to get it up to a 3.0 for next year, had indeed made it out of the alternative program and back into the high school.  He seemed genuinely proud of his success - maybe that was the best part.  If he can feel good about himself, the other problems might not be so insurmountable.

Someone at the alternative program apparently succeeded where we had not been able to.  Good for them!!  I'm just "pleased as punch" to see a former student succeed like this.

And of course I donated again!