OPERATION GRADUATE HELPED ME GROW UP.
09/06/2011 Tuesday
Brianna Jones’s eyes sparkled as she watched the United Way of Tampa Bay Kickoff wind down. “You all are humanitarians,” she declared. “That’s what I want to be. I want to make an impact and help people.”
Although she’s just a high school senior, Brianna is well on her way to making an impact. She volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club in her North Greenwood neighborhood in Clearwater. She raised money for victims of the Haiti earthquake. And she was chosen for Operation Graduate, an innovative partnership between United Way, the Clearwater Police Department, the Pinellas County School District and St. Petersburg College. The two-part program encourages on-time graduation and provides exposure to college for at-risk teenagers who are doing well, and uses education to break the cycle of juvenile recidivism for teens who have been in trouble.
Brianna was in the college-exposure group with 14 other students. They had to fill out applications and secure recommendations. They were exposed to speakers from different backgrounds throughout the summer. “The speakers motivated me,” Brianna says. “They made me realize that without a dream and education there would be no success.”
The students took a course at St. Petersburg College to get a taste of college life. They were required to give a two-minute presentation at the closing ceremony and in her two minutes, Brianna noted, “Operation Graduate helped me grow up.”
Which brings us back to the United Way Kickoff, held at Tropicana Field in August. Brianna was the Operation Graduate representative. Calm and poised, she made her way to the podium, introduced herself to the more than 700 people and recited a poem she wrote called “Just Believe.” The closing stanza echoed through the Trop:
“Turning dreams into reality
Failure into success
Weakness into strength
Shortcomings to perfection
Just believe and u will succeed.”
The only standing ovation of the day lasted several minutes. Afterwards, Brianna was surrounded by people telling her how she motivated them, touched them, made them cry.
Brianna wants to be a nurse. She’s identified colleges with good nursing programs and is already applying for scholarships and financial aid. She believes she can make her dream a reality. And if anyone can, it’s the grown-up Brianna Jones.
Although she’s just a high school senior, Brianna is well on her way to making an impact. She volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club in her North Greenwood neighborhood in Clearwater. She raised money for victims of the Haiti earthquake. And she was chosen for Operation Graduate, an innovative partnership between United Way, the Clearwater Police Department, the Pinellas County School District and St. Petersburg College. The two-part program encourages on-time graduation and provides exposure to college for at-risk teenagers who are doing well, and uses education to break the cycle of juvenile recidivism for teens who have been in trouble.
Brianna was in the college-exposure group with 14 other students. They had to fill out applications and secure recommendations. They were exposed to speakers from different backgrounds throughout the summer. “The speakers motivated me,” Brianna says. “They made me realize that without a dream and education there would be no success.”
The students took a course at St. Petersburg College to get a taste of college life. They were required to give a two-minute presentation at the closing ceremony and in her two minutes, Brianna noted, “Operation Graduate helped me grow up.”
Which brings us back to the United Way Kickoff, held at Tropicana Field in August. Brianna was the Operation Graduate representative. Calm and poised, she made her way to the podium, introduced herself to the more than 700 people and recited a poem she wrote called “Just Believe.” The closing stanza echoed through the Trop:
“Turning dreams into reality
Failure into success
Weakness into strength
Shortcomings to perfection
Just believe and u will succeed.”
The only standing ovation of the day lasted several minutes. Afterwards, Brianna was surrounded by people telling her how she motivated them, touched them, made them cry.
Brianna wants to be a nurse. She’s identified colleges with good nursing programs and is already applying for scholarships and financial aid. She believes she can make her dream a reality. And if anyone can, it’s the grown-up Brianna Jones.