The superheroes who have been featured on this blog so far, Superman and Captain America, are extraordinary people. Both are unique and
multi-talented scholars and people. Many
thousands have read of their exploits
But the superhero who will take center stage today
represents the kind of will and focus that very few of the billions on this
planet have. I say this without any fear of contradiction from any reader. You
will see what I mean shortly.
Before that, however, I need to introduce the man who is
largely responsible for implementing one of the most significant academic
scholarship programs in the world. His name is Mike Mallory. Mike is the Executive Director of the Ron
Brown Scholar Program.
| Mike Mallory |
Mike and I have known each other for nearly 3 decades so we
have quite a lot of stories and histories to share. He has, most importantly,
been responsible for changing lives in ways few of us will ever do. Here is what the program he heads does: The
Ron Brown Scholar Program is a national program benefiting
academically-talented, highly motivated African-American high school seniors
who have demonstrated financial need, social commitment and leadership
potential.
But this description is only the beginning of the story. The
students chosen for this program receive far more than much needed aid. They
receive the kind of mentoring, within and without the academic institutions
they choose to attend, that transforms them from individual scholars to a
community dedicated to creating national and global innovations. Leaders from
virtually all walks of life, from Colin Powell to the leaders on Wall Street,
Major League Baseball, and academic and educational institutions have been a
part of seminars and conferences to inspire and mentor these students.
The program should be a template for other scholarship and
mentoring programs around the world. If you think I am simply hyping this for a
friend let me just quote what a high flying Start Up guy wrote to me this week:
when the topic of the program came up: “Ron Brown Scholar
Program needs no introduction. It is one of the most well regarded
scholarship foundations in the U.S.”
For those of us familiar with education,
the program is the gold standard of successful attempts to create change and opportunity for students, especially students who are not blessed with economic
good fortune.
 |
| Mike Mallory and President Obama |
******************************************************************************
Now it is time to meet the Superhero. He is just one of the many students who have come through the program and I will be featuring more of them on the blog over the coming weeks and months.
I
have been lucky enough to be a part of the selection process for the Ron Brown
Program. I have read untold thousands of applications for many different
scholarship programs and at a selective university but the top end of the pool
who apply for the Ron Brown Program are among the most impressive I have read
in my 30 years in education. I hope this
story will both inspire you and also let you know that there are people out
there who have overcome things on their journey to success that should help
serve as a model for us to persevere through our own life struggles and challenges.
*********************************************************************************
From homeless child to star student
The Washington Post
By Robert Samuels, Friday, April 1, 2011, 9:25 PM
The opponent in the wrestling match tossed Michael Robinson into the front row. It was the regional high school wrestling tournament, and the illegal move was an act of psychological warfare. “It was one of those moments when things escalate,’’ said Principal Debra Mugge, who watched the match, horrified. Her star student was bruised but not shaken. He took a deep breath, returned to the mat and won the bout. “Life is analogous to a wrestling match,’’ reflected Michael, a three-sport athlete, trombonist, student government president and straight-A student at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring. “Everything you do is based on preparation. What the out- come will be is based on hard work. . . . A lot of your success is determined by heart.’’
The young life of Michael Robinson is a story of sweat, studies and struggle. He is Springbrook’s first Ron Brown scholar; the designation, named after the late Clinton administration commerce secretary, comes with a $40,000 scholarship. It’s the latest accolade for an 18-year-old who grew up fatherless on a diet of canned foods and rice, endured months in a homeless shelter, and is now a first-generation college prospect choosing among Columbia, Princeton and Yale. At each of those schools, about 7 percent of applicants were accepted this year. Of the 6,200 who applied for the Brown scholarship, 16 won the prize.
Michael’s teachers say his success is a measure of a teenager obsessively focused on achievement. Sometimes they wonder if he’s even aware of the odds that were stacked against him. Despite all the obsta- cles, he can think of only one thing that’s really bothered him: “Getting that B,’’ he said, laughing about a quarterly pro-
gress report in an AP course last school year — the only blemish in 12 years of report cards.
Early on, his mother suspected her son had a gift. He wasn’t a particularly early reader or talker, but 41-year-old Chimene Jules notes with a laugh that “he was potty trained — fully potty trained — at 18 months.’’ Jules, who was a retail manager in Manassas, raised five children on her own. She and Michael’s father had a falling out, and he’s been out of the picture since Michael, the third child, was 2. “We lived paycheck-to-paycheck,’’ Jules said, “and I worked hard to keep a roof over their heads and make sure they had food every night.’’ Many nights, though, she could afford to give the children only rice or oatmeal.
School fueled Michael. He was posting perfect math and reading scores on assessment tests. His neighbors had horses; he had a copy of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” In April 2004, Jules lost her job. She fell behind on payments on her home, then maxed out her credit cards trying to stay afloat. Five months later, she told the three children who were at home to pack up the little they had; they had to move to a homeless shelter.
The family of four slept in a single room. Michael’s mother and sister shared a queen-size bed. He and his younger brother slept on bunks. They looked forward to Fridays, when Pizza Hut donated pies to the homeless. Michael was 11. He remem- bers pleading with his bus driver to drop him a block from the shelter after football practice because he feared teasing from his peers. But the experience only made him more focused. “Life is going to take you through difficult times and to places you don’t expect,’’ Michael reflected. “When I was young, I figured that if I wanted to succeed, I had to take advantage of every opportunity in school and sports. It could be that thing that would take me to the top.’’
He kept getting straight As in school. After school, he’d pester his mother: “What did you do today? How many jobs did you apply for?” Jules tried not to say that she was becoming depressed. She lost 30 pounds. She caught pneumonia and was hospitalized for eight days. Finally, after three months at the shelter, Jules found a job as a property manager. She later bought a house in Silver Spring. In retrospect, Michael thinks he was probably too hard on his mother. He didn’t know any better, he says. But she says it was Michael’s push that helped her pull through.
His tenacity extended even to the minor annoyances of school life. As student body president at Springbrook, Michael no- ticed that students who brought their lunches from home had no way to heat up food. So Michael started what became known as the “microwave project.” Teachers hated the idea. They feared that students might use the machine incorrectly, even blow it up. Plus, there was no money. But Michael solicited donations to purchase two small microwaves. The princi- pal acquiesced. “I just tell people that Michael Robinson wanted me to do it,’’ said Mugge, shrugging. No fewer than five people can be seen waiting to use the machines every lunch period, according to the assistant principal. In fact, the school is adding a third. “If anything, my legacy will be microwaves!” Michael said, laughing.
With graduation nearing, his weighted grade-point average is the second highest at Springbrook — a 4.69, with seven Advanced Placement courses. The teacher who once gave him a B ended up writing Michael’s college recommendation letter. “I thought,” Michael said, “he would be able to describe how hard I work and that I don’t give up.”
The Washington Post
By Robert Samuels, Friday, April 1, 2011, 9:25 PM
The opponent in the wrestling match tossed Michael Robinson into the front row. It was the regional high school wrestling tournament, and the illegal move was an act of psychological warfare. “It was one of those moments when things escalate,’’ said Principal Debra Mugge, who watched the match, horrified. Her star student was bruised but not shaken. He took a deep breath, returned to the mat and won the bout. “Life is analogous to a wrestling match,’’ reflected Michael, a three-sport athlete, trombonist, student government president and straight-A student at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring. “Everything you do is based on preparation. What the out- come will be is based on hard work. . . . A lot of your success is determined by heart.’’
The young life of Michael Robinson is a story of sweat, studies and struggle. He is Springbrook’s first Ron Brown scholar; the designation, named after the late Clinton administration commerce secretary, comes with a $40,000 scholarship. It’s the latest accolade for an 18-year-old who grew up fatherless on a diet of canned foods and rice, endured months in a homeless shelter, and is now a first-generation college prospect choosing among Columbia, Princeton and Yale. At each of those schools, about 7 percent of applicants were accepted this year. Of the 6,200 who applied for the Brown scholarship, 16 won the prize.
Michael’s teachers say his success is a measure of a teenager obsessively focused on achievement. Sometimes they wonder if he’s even aware of the odds that were stacked against him. Despite all the obsta- cles, he can think of only one thing that’s really bothered him: “Getting that B,’’ he said, laughing about a quarterly pro-
gress report in an AP course last school year — the only blemish in 12 years of report cards.
 |
| https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/bulletin/article.aspx?id=173117 |
Early on, his mother suspected her son had a gift. He wasn’t a particularly early reader or talker, but 41-year-old Chimene Jules notes with a laugh that “he was potty trained — fully potty trained — at 18 months.’’ Jules, who was a retail manager in Manassas, raised five children on her own. She and Michael’s father had a falling out, and he’s been out of the picture since Michael, the third child, was 2. “We lived paycheck-to-paycheck,’’ Jules said, “and I worked hard to keep a roof over their heads and make sure they had food every night.’’ Many nights, though, she could afford to give the children only rice or oatmeal.
School fueled Michael. He was posting perfect math and reading scores on assessment tests. His neighbors had horses; he had a copy of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” In April 2004, Jules lost her job. She fell behind on payments on her home, then maxed out her credit cards trying to stay afloat. Five months later, she told the three children who were at home to pack up the little they had; they had to move to a homeless shelter.
The family of four slept in a single room. Michael’s mother and sister shared a queen-size bed. He and his younger brother slept on bunks. They looked forward to Fridays, when Pizza Hut donated pies to the homeless. Michael was 11. He remem- bers pleading with his bus driver to drop him a block from the shelter after football practice because he feared teasing from his peers. But the experience only made him more focused. “Life is going to take you through difficult times and to places you don’t expect,’’ Michael reflected. “When I was young, I figured that if I wanted to succeed, I had to take advantage of every opportunity in school and sports. It could be that thing that would take me to the top.’’
He kept getting straight As in school. After school, he’d pester his mother: “What did you do today? How many jobs did you apply for?” Jules tried not to say that she was becoming depressed. She lost 30 pounds. She caught pneumonia and was hospitalized for eight days. Finally, after three months at the shelter, Jules found a job as a property manager. She later bought a house in Silver Spring. In retrospect, Michael thinks he was probably too hard on his mother. He didn’t know any better, he says. But she says it was Michael’s push that helped her pull through.
His tenacity extended even to the minor annoyances of school life. As student body president at Springbrook, Michael no- ticed that students who brought their lunches from home had no way to heat up food. So Michael started what became known as the “microwave project.” Teachers hated the idea. They feared that students might use the machine incorrectly, even blow it up. Plus, there was no money. But Michael solicited donations to purchase two small microwaves. The princi- pal acquiesced. “I just tell people that Michael Robinson wanted me to do it,’’ said Mugge, shrugging. No fewer than five people can be seen waiting to use the machines every lunch period, according to the assistant principal. In fact, the school is adding a third. “If anything, my legacy will be microwaves!” Michael said, laughing.
With graduation nearing, his weighted grade-point average is the second highest at Springbrook — a 4.69, with seven Advanced Placement courses. The teacher who once gave him a B ended up writing Michael’s college recommendation letter. “I thought,” Michael said, “he would be able to describe how hard I work and that I don’t give up.”
No comments:
Post a Comment