No Excuses
Tanya Griggs holds her teacher appreciation award from students.
As another school year ends, graduating seniors from the Marietta Performance Learning Center® (PLC) in Cobb County say goodbye to all of their teachers, mentors, tutors, and others who helped them succeed. One of the teachers, Tanya Griggs, finds working with at-risk kids especially rewarding. But one thing Ms. Griggs won’t tolerate is excuses because she knows what it is like to fight and beat the odds. She battles a life threatening disease daily where even walking upstairs on some days can be a tremendous feat. She gets treatments for her illness weekly but it doesn’t stop her from mentoring many students outside of her school day. Ms. Griggs goes the extra mile with students to encourage them to set goals and pursue their dreams, and she also helps with extracurricular activities when needed.
Ms. Griggs said she looks forward to another school year when she can make a difference in the lives of more kids.
A Colorful Imagery of Hope
Belynda Enzor has been meeting with her mentee, Crystal Bechtold, for just four months in Cochran/Bleckley County and already the bond of friendship and trust has been made. As predicted, it took about four weeks before Crystal knew Belynda would be there every week just for her. Once she had this confidence, the relationship took off and they have been singing and painting ever since. When I asked Crystal what she has learned from her mentoring experience she said, “I learned that you don’t have to be the same to get along. It’s fun to communicate with other people!” Belynda expressed that it has not been hard to work her commitment to mentoring into her schedule. She said that the school made it easy, accessible and the staff was so cooperative. She looks forward to following Crystal to middle school and continuing this special friendship next year.
The painting has been a work in progress since January. The picture features a colorful collage painting that conveys to the viewer a mood of brightness and hope. It’s filled with cows, horses with wings, clouds and many other images that just come to the imagination of both Belynda and Crystal during their time together. Conversation flows as the brushstrokes are added each week. Belynda will have the piece framed for Crystal at the end of the school year and she can proudly display it at home.
Lending A Helping Hand
Dennis Lightsey is the first male to graduate from high school in his family. Before coming to the CIS Performance Learning Center® (PLC) in Fitzgerald/Ben Hill County, he didn’t think he would finish the 11th grade. According to Dennis, the PLC environment helped him focus on school and establish goals. Now Dennis is on track to graduate. He is currently enrolled in the National Guard as a utility equipment repairman and will complete his basic training after graduation at Fort Benning.
A component of the PLC curriculum involves service learning. Dennis enjoys volunteering at a local primary school by assisting with various games and activities during school field days. Through his service learning projects, he gains a sense of connection with the children. He enjoys giving back to his community because the Fitzgerald/Ben Hill community has provided him with the assistance that he needed to graduate and prepare for a successful future. The picture below shows Dennis preparing a student for a game.
