The first Friday in November is a much anticipated day in the Pathways Schools community.  Students

Students greet and join each other in performance

and staff from every site come together in a rally to promote healthy lifestyles and good choices.  It is an opportunity for students to perform and speak out about their dreams and goals to be positive, contributing members of their school and home communities.  It is also a lot of fun...a morning away from class and a rare chance to see and connect with students from other Pathways schools.

A poster on display

This year's rally theme, "Look Inside Yourself  and BELIEVE", was the inspiration for rap, step dance, guitar and drum performances by individual students and groups from four sites.  Every Pathways school had created a visual art piece depicting what the students saw as their school's strengths and gifts. These were displayed around the East County Center's gymnasium, where the rally was held.  The Pathways School-Anne Arundel even created a lively and entertaining video that was shown during the event.

          The rally hosted an exciting, energy-filled guest performance by steppers of the Alpha Omega Alpha Fraternity.  The keynote speaker, "Messiah", is a three-time winner on "Showtime at the Apollo".  His moving

Messiah speaks to the crowd

and poetic message encouraged students to stay focused on reaching their goals.

          The event concluded by recognizing students who had made academic strides, including those who had met all state assessment requirements, were on the honor roll or had perfect attendance.  Athletes were acknowledged for their achievements in school and community sports. One or two students from every site received the "Believe" award  for demonstrating a willingness and growing ability to believe in themselves and move forward with positive choices.

          Rally goers returned to their Pathways schools energized and increasingly ready to meet the challenge of staying on track in their studies, activities and lives. 

Portrait of an Artist

 

Like many of his fellow students at Pathways-Edgewood, Terrence Lee is a very busy person. He goes to class, studies hard in preparation for his graduation in January and works at Starbucks.  One feature of his life is different: no matter where he goes, Terrence is never without a drawing pad and a pencil.  As soon as class is over, or his work his finished, he takes out his pad and pencil and begins to draw.  He has a natural talent and is completely self-taught.

          Terrence began attending Pathways in sixth grade.  Throughout middle and high school, his teachers and therapists recognized both his talent and determination and encouraged him to develop his gift and pursue his dream of becoming a professional artist. He seeks to convey a sense of realism in his art.  He wants to make "art for people", pictures that depict scenes from contemporary life with subjects that have popular appeal.  He has been successful with this, including selling Redskins-themed pictures near FedEx Field on game day.

          Successful artists need business sense as well as passion, and therefore Pathways staff urged Terrence to participate in the Young Entrepreneur Program at  Edgewood.  Though he senses that he needs to know a lot more about starting a business, Terrence acknowledges that the program has helped him understand the steps to opening his own studio sometime in the future.

          Terrence is finishing his senior year.  Having known him from the time he was in middle school, Pathways is proud to have had the opportunity to support and enable Terrence to succeed in school and become a compelling artist with a real possibility of pursuing a career that will use his talent and interests to their fullest.