ASA!

Newark High School students have decided to start a chapter of the ASPIRE student organization at the high school.  Their purpose is to provide leadership for academic achievement among students.  Essentially,  All Students ASPIRE (ASA) leaders will recruit Students to Step Up and make being smart mean being popular, as well.  They want more students to take ownership of the personal responsibility to focus on school work, develop solid study habits, and earn good grades.  The leadership group met on Friday, February 24 at the ASPIRE student support office on the UD campus.  They plan to conduct at least one academic awareness session during the spring semester and work with ASPIRE leaders and Newark teachers to develop peer tutoring opportunities that allow the ASA leaders and those that they recruit as peer tutors to earn their volunteer credits.

The Friday session was facilitated by ASPIRE leaders,  President Quindara Lazenbury and President-Elect Katie Kull.  Katie has been working to develop a Junior ASPIRE program since the first semester of her freshman year.  She is now a sophomore.  ASPIRE members Arpita Mandal, Kevin Nai, Ellen Baca, and Tyemah Bell supported the session.  Arpita and Kevin are ASPIRE officers-elect.  Former ASPIRE President, Taria Pritchett and member Stacey Chambers are student teaching at Newark High School this semester and both assisted the Newark students in getting to campus for the planning session.

The group concluded the evening by attending the presentation by Hill Harper which appropriately engaged them in a very interactive session on setting ambitious goals, building a solid foundation (academic preparation) and creating a useful plan (network and activities).

The Newark student leaders include three 9th graders:  Cara Snow, Rebecca McLaughlin, and Brian Leithren; eight 10th graders: Geovieve Arango, Shanika Stanley, Lucila Sandoval, Alexus Walker, Kevin Cramer, Kyre Harvey, Lacey Morris, Zaneica Scott, and 11th grader DaYQuan Wallace.