Cradle 2 career student advocates
To kick off our IDEAL Ward blog, we are sharing the voices of a few participants of Cradle to Career’s Student Advocates/Youth Delegates led by Kim Holmes-Ross. The Youth Delegates play a critical role in guiding the work of EC2C as well as using their skills to bring the work of EC2C to fruition. We first spoke to Kim, she told us a bit about her connection to the work and the kids.
“My grandmother used to say, “the world could be a cold cruel place, but home is where the heart is.” As I grew older, I understood exactly what she meant. Whatever was going on in the outside world, as soon as you entered the house you felt safe, loved, welcomed, cared for, etc… My mother used the same philosophy in 1976 when she opened Family Focus, one of the country’s first family resource centers. When people walked through the doors they knew that they would be ok, that people cared about them, and would be treated with dignity and respect. I worked at Family Focus in their Teen Parent Program from 1989 until 2007. I absolutely loved supporting teens in some of their darkest moments, a listening ear, a helping hand, a resource; this was more than just a job for me it was and is my life’s work, it is what I was meant to do. After leaving Family Focus, I took a position at Orr High School on Chicago’s westside, as a community counselor with a program called Options For Youth. It was there I learned how to be a connector in the community, connecting teens and families to much needed resources. After a decade of making a difference, I came back to Evanston in 2017 and took a position at Cradle to Career as Community Engagement Director. I was tasked to build a community leadership team, now known as Advocates For Action. In 2019, I expanded the vision of the leadership team to include students, it was then The Student Advocates were formed. The goal; amplify their voices and equip them to lead the actions necessary for change.” — Kim Holmes-Ross
CHRISTOPHE M.
“I'm a seventeen year old student at Evanston Township High School. I was born in New York City and have lived in many places, including Canada, until I moved to Evanston in 2018. My mother was born in New York City but, lucky for me, she was raised in Evanston, where her family has lived since the late 1800s. Although she spent a lot of her adulthood in New York, her experience in Evanston helped me make a smooth transition and provided me with valuable assistance from a community including my own family. Before I moved to Evanston, I hadn't really experienced a conscious effort to uplift marginalized persons.
My father is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, thus I am a black child of an immigrant who comes from a French speaking household. I feel as though French is not given as much attention as Spanish in both districts. This is a racial issue because there are a significant number of black immigrants who come from francophone countries.
The process of becoming accustomed to a new high school was intimidatingHaving Black teachers is nice because they understand who I am. The academic achievement gap in Evanston must be addressed. Many of my classes are either Honors or AP and tend to be mostly white. When I worked as a volunteer at Family Focus, a community childhood development center, I noticed that the Black children struggled with their homework. Thus far, there are no concrete plans and I would like to see more strategies as to how this could change.” - Christophe M.
NIA D.
“I first moved to Evanston in the fifth grade. Before living here, my family and I resided in Gary, Indiana. I remember the school system in Gary had no racial diversity. When I moved to Evanston, I was shocked and thrilled to be around students that did not look like me. I found myself surrounded by people of all colors, cultures, and nationalities. District 65 gave us access to updated technology such as MacBooks and, in middle school, iPads we could take home with us. Coming from my prior school system, I was not used to this. It helped me become more engaged in class and get my work done. My experience in District 65 was great. My teachers, especially in elementary school, facilitated my transition to Evanston, and they set me on a great path. In high school, District 202 assisted me in my preparation for adulthood. Without the lessons I learned from the teachers and staff, I would not be where I am now. ETHS has so many clubs/programs to choose from. When I found my place in cheerleading and acting, I was locked in. My teachers at Evanston Township High School inspired me, believed in my dreams, and helped me achieve goals. My experience within the Evanston school system was great, and now that I am in college, I am appreciative of all that Evanston taught me.” - Nia D.
LILA-KAPINGA M.
“I am currently a sophomore at ETHS. My first year in the Evanston school system was at Haven, which was a great learning experience. I did well and made the honor roll. My courses were diverse. For the most part, I had a good relationship with my teachers because they were open to hearing my views and were considerate of my feelings. I didn’t have any Black teachers, but luckily, I was able to connect with non-Black educators and I had a diverse group of friends. As I look back, I see that Haven does need a more inclusive curriculum.
Transitioning to Evanston Township High School was difficult and, due to COVID, it has been difficult to build and maintain friendships. As a student with an Individualized Educational Plan, it is important for me to have teachers who are supportive and make accommodations when I face difficulty. Though none of my teachers are Black, I have been alright because I am able to voice my concerns and views. I quickly learned that ETHS takes initiative in making progress towards racial equity. They consider the students' views on important subjects like systematic oppression and the historical exclusion of black children in the process of prioritizing proper education. I appreciate how the youth are listened to and able to be involved in making change.” - Lila-Kapinga M.
AMARIAH B.
“I am currently a sophomore at Evanston Township High School. When I was in kindergarten and elementary school I went to school in Evanston’s school District 65. Beginning in 5th grade, I spent two years at school in District 68 until High School, when I returned to District 202. My experiences in District 65 & 68 were very different, but shared some similarities. Throughout the entirety of elementary school I had two black teachers, which is actually more than most kids have in District 65. The black teachers that I’ve had always had a huge influence on me beyond the classroom. I learned various morals from my black teachers which I still carry with me. Moving to Skokie schools for middle school was a very impactful experience. When I was a student there, I never saw black teachers/administrators, and it was very difficult for me to feel like I had people to turn to for help. No one around me looked like me or could understand the difficulties I went through. As a black female student, I have to deal with people automatically placing labels on me. It can very easily become difficult for students to stay on task when they are dealing with tough situations at home. Having been a student in different school districts, I see how important it is for black students to have a good support system when it comes to their education.”- Amariah B.
ELIIJA B.
“I began my freshman year of high school as a 5’7” African American kid who only knew a couple of people. However, as an athlete going to play varsity basketball, many people knew who I was. I was seen as the smart kid, which people thought was odd because they think athletes can’t be smart. I was an athlete.
As soon as I stepped foot into high school, I rarely had peers in the academic setting who looked like me. Being someone who was in all AP and Honors classes, I was pretty much the only African American in most of my classes. The same went for my teachers. In over 12 years of school, I have only had 3 teachers that looked like me. In high school, you have about 6/7 different teachers a year. That means that out of around 24 of the teachers I’ve had in high school, only 3 looked like me.
Sophomore year I had a black teacher named Mr. Booker who taught chemistry. He looked out for me when I needed help and made sure I was never behind on work. He was one of the only teachers that did anything like that for me and I’m happy that it came from him. I rarely interacted with people that looked like me in my classes, but when I did, they were my happiest moments and, to this day, I wish I had more of those experiences.” - Elija B.
TIANA J.
“Life in school was not fun for me. In 8th grade I had a racist math teacher who would make uncomfortable and mean-spirited ‘jokes’. He spoke to me as if I couldn’t understand him and I always felt that he took me for a fool. My peers saw me as the “cool girl” (like the stereotype in movies), and not for who I actually was. I knew that what they were doing was not right, and that they were minimizing who I am. I felt the racism.
I was never good at math, but not because I was a black girl, like my teacher thought. It was because I was never given the extra attention I needed to succeed. Since graduating, I have become great at math because I kept pushing myself to do better. I now have support from my BIPOC teachers and I was able to join a peer tutoring group. I never want people to think that I’m not enough because of the color of my skin.” - Tiana J.
