Pathways emphasizes helping students to develop skills and interests that will help them contribute positively to their communities after they graduate.  Delonte Gassaway is an example of a Pathways student who is doing just that by serving his country in the Marine Corps. A 2010 graduate, Delonte began at Pathways in 2006 as a high-energy 9th grader who had to be encouraged to stay focused on his classes and academic goals.  Gradually and with Pathways support he developed both study and social skills that enabled him to transition to public school

Delonte stands proudly with his Pathways therapist, Nicole Frazier, and Crossland Re-Entry Principal Newton Lennon during his Thanksgiving visit.

midway through his junior year.  While attending Pathways Crossland-Re-Entry, he took on more and more responsibility, studying and holding down jobs at IHOP and Six Flags.  He joined ROTC, where he soon found himself in a leadership role.  There he decided to set a high goal for himself and become a Marine, and with that in mind, he worked hard.  He was the first student to earn his dress blues, and while on the drill team he was one of only 11 students selected to attend a competition in Florida. As his senior year progressed Delonte was diligent in his pursuit of the Marine Corps, fulfilling all the requirements and passing all the tests promptly.  The recruiting officer was impressed: in fact, Delonte was the only student from his high school that year to be accepted into the Marines.  He began basic training immediately after graduation.

At Thanksgiving this year, while on a break from training, Delonte returned for a visit to Pathways Crossland-Re-Entry.  He wanted to express his gratitude to his teachers and therapists and support staff who had helped him gain the self understanding, knowledge and confidence he needed to succeed in school and in the Marines.  He has recently completed his training, graduating 3rd in a class of 90 Marines.

Pathways students are involved and working in a range of community activities, including the performing arts.

Jamal Williams, a senior at Pathways DuVal Re-Entry, spent several afternoons a week during the first semester climbing  ladders, changing gels, and programming sound and light cues behind the scenes at a local performance venue.  He did this as part of a theater tech training program at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier.  For three months Jamal was instructed in lighting, sound, media production and events management.  Now he is into the experiential phase of the program in which he is actually working on productions in the studio theater at Joe's. When Jamal first heard about the theater tech program he was not sure that he wanted to participate.  His teachers, therapist and mentors at Pathways encouraged him to do it, knowing that he would learn useful new skills and get valuable workplace experience.  In addition, the program offers academic tutoring, mentoring and career coaching.  Pathways staff have continued to support Jamal as he progresses in the theater tech program.  
 

In our December issue we reported that the Young Entrepreneurs, a comprehensive, hands-on program to teach students how to start and succeed with a business, was expanding to include students from all Pathways high school sites.  The new group of 8 students begins January 13, with an orientation at the Youth Center in Greenbelt.  In the weekly workshops that will follow, business professionals will work with the students to introduce them to the process of beginning and building a business. In this picture of last semester's program for example, Charlie Grant, who owns and operates commercial properties and ATMs in Washington and Baltimore, is discussing the techniques of inventory  management and finances while showing the students how to use bar codes to track inventory.

While the students will be encouraged and guided, the effort is designed to be student driven: what the students take from the course and where they go with it is up to them.  Emphasis is placed on learning in and from the community.  The budding entrepreneurs will visit a variety of local businesses and will have chances to shadow owners and operators.  They will attend a trade show to talk with representatives and hear about their experiences. While the students in the group may take concrete steps to try out what it takes to begin a business, the goal of the program is not to produce something, but rather to have the students learn a process.  While doing so, they may discover talents they didn't realize they had and will develop skills that could set them on the path toward real entrepreneurship and self reliance.