Achievers’ Life Stories

We serve 119 Achievers.  Yet the numbers and statistics don’t tell the individual stories of our children. Following are brief descriptions of the lives of two Achievers (names changed for confidentiality):

Katie’s Story

Like all of the children invited into our program, Katie was a kindergartner who was facing a number of risk factors. She exhibited aggressive behavior and fought often with her classmates.  She also had sporadic school attendance, poor work habits, and low academic achievement. Meetings with school teachers and counselors confirmed that Katie was a problem child. Once enrolled with Friends of the Children, we successfully advocated for her placement into a better performing charter school. There, she expressed an interest in dance.  Katie is now in the ninth grade, and has maintained a strong interest in dance ever since. Her dedicated mentor, Ms. Nefer, was able to advocate on her behalf and eventually enrolled her in the Annex to the Alvin Ailey American Dance School on a need-based scholarship. Katie is pursuing ballet classes because of Nefer’s diligent work on her behalf – she is happier in school and living a healthier life. Katie’s life has been redefined by the love and devotion of a Friend.

David’s Story

David, currently in the eighth grade, is but one example of what success looks like at Friends of the Children New York.  David joined the program as he entered the first grade, having already earned the reputation as a child no teacher wanted in their class.  He is being raised by his grandmother as his mother is in and out of jail and the man he thought was his father (having since learned that he is not his father) was not in his life.  Much of his day was spent in the principal’s office, a result of either fighting with peers or uncontrolled crying.  When his Friend, Mr. Wright, began working with David in the classroom, David began to slowly but steadily develop improved emotional control and learned to use his words to express his feeling.  David’s academics also began to improve and we were successful in securing a placement in a high performing charter school.  As David aged he exhibited rapid physical growth and proved to be a gifted athlete.  The down side of his growth is that by the sixth grade he began to be targeted as a recruite by neighborhood gangs.  Through work by our Clinical Director we secured a boarding school placement out of the city to remove David from the increasingly dangerous environment.  As a member of the schools basketball team he led the team to their first ever state championship last year.  This year he campaigned for and was elected President of the student body.  David’s success is the embodiment of our mission, “Changing the destiny of NYC’s most vulnerable children … One Child at a time”.