January Is National Mentoring Month!

January is National Mentoring Month.  We love our mentors at the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation! We are extremely lucky to have such devoted, caring individuals who have a passion for positive youth development.  National Mentoring Month focuses national attention on the need for mentors as well as how we can work together to increase the number of of mentors to assure positive outcomes for our young people.  Here at the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, we recognize the importance of mentors in impacting our fellows' lives.  Mentors serve as a personal support system and advocate for their fellow.  They provide key advice on academic issues, going to college, professional opportunities, and social and family life.  Together mentors and fellows develop tools and assets to be successful in high school, college, and beyond.  As one mentor puts it "I realize that many young people may lack stability and inspiration, or anyone to look up to.  Mentoring programs can serve as the connecting factor between youth who may feel lost or broken and adults who want to inspire them and build them up."  So if you have a mentor, be sure to thank them for being that inspiration in your life!

New Year's Welcome for New Elizabeth Fellows!

Welcome New Elizabeth Fellows!

We are so excited to welcome 11 new sophomore fellows and 3 new junior fellows into the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation.  Read on to learn a little bit about each fellow’s unique skills and goals.

Tianna Alston (Sophomore)- “I see myself as a determined student.  I hope that after finishing high school, I will be able to continue on to college.  Since I was five years old, I have wanted to be a nurse.  I love the thought of being able to help people in need.”

Mohammadi Amena (Sophomore)- “I am a hardworking student.  I always look for opportunities that are valuable for my future.  I want to go to college because it will create a better future for me.  I admire Malala Yousafzai, the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban.  It makes me realize how important education is for all people.”

Carlos Bautista (Sophomore)- “As a student, I would describe myself as a curious, motivated, trustworthy, and a hardworking pupil that wishes to contribute to his school and community by doing his best.  I enjoy learning because I am very curious, and enjoy learning concepts and principles that make the world function.”

Kerri Brodie (Sophomore)- “I love learning new things in areas that interest me like science, interior design, and child development. I would like to attend NC A&T on a full scholarship majoring in Child Development and Early Education.  I learn best by working hard and learning from my mistakes”

Sophia Caron (Sophomore)- “I really hope to go to NC State and eventually become an FBI agent.  I like the idea of helping the government and protecting people around me.  The two people that I admire most are my mom and grandmother.  My mom always tells me to give one hundred percent and never give up.”

Zahra Fatima (Sophomore)- “I hope to be a doctor when I grow up, because I am really interested in biology.  I also want to be a doctor, because I like to help people.  I think this field will make me happy.”

Ahyanna Griffith (Junior)- “As a student, I am enthusiastic, out-going, and a good learner.  I love learning because knowledge can give you experience to craft the person who you want to become.  One day, I do hope to go to college and study medicine.”

Ayesha Jaleel (Junior)- “I feel if I want to be successful, it’s important to constantly be making new goals, and setting the goals higher by working hard.  This summer, I would like to volunteer at REX hospital and work with people who are suffering from cancer.”

Kadiejatu Johnson (Sophomore)- “In my future career, I want to work with computers and do graphic design.  I developed my love of learning from my dad.  I definitely hope to go to college to advance my potential for working in the real world.”

Ty’sean Judd (Sophomore)- “The idea of expanding my mind on a daily basis inspires me.  Chemistry is by far my favorite subject.  My first choice for a career is play basketball, but I also think about doing something in chemistry.”

Ketsia Liteli (Junior)- “Ever since I was little, I found myself fascinated with the jobs of doctors and nurses.  Hospitals were seen as these busy centers brimming with people who, I thought, had an unimaginable amount of knowledge.  If I was going to be somebody, it would be somebody in the medical field.”

Samantha Messie (Sophomore)- “I do my best both inside and outside of school to ensure that I understand and can apply what I have been taught.  I do all I do in school just to achieve two goals: successfully finish college and begin a profession in which I excel and enjoy myself.”

Juan Reyes Ortiz (Sophomore)-“When I grow up, I want to be a professional soccer player.  I would also like to study in the fields of mythology and history.  I love learning about mythological creatures and gods as well as ancient civilizations.”

Cristian Tompkins (Sophomore)- “Right now I’m striving to be a nurse in a pediatric ward.  My children development class has made me realize my love for small children.  Every kid deserves a good childhood and I want to give that to a sick child.”

 

  

Fellows Give Back For The Holidays

Founder and President, Cate Edwards, has said "when kids are engaged in their community and the community engages with those kids, a vital exchange can happen."  Through community service, fellows are able to use their unique talents to enrich the community and empower them to make a change.  Fellows also learn the importance of giving back through service.  Check out some of the great organizations the fellows are giving back to this holiday season.

Backpack Buddies provides children from food insecure homes with healthy weekend meals during the school year.  The fellows packed food into bags to be distributed to children and their families.

Feed the Pack is a community based initiative sustained by NC State University to combat food insecurity experienced by members of the Wolf Pack community.  The fellows sorted and organized food donated to the food pantry, and created a display full of quotes about hunger written by NC State students.

Brighton Gardens is an assisted living facility specializing in an active, dedicated approach to senior living.  The fellows taught the residents how to make snowman pottery for the holidays.

The Jingle Bell Run is a 5K dedicated to raising funds for arthritis.  The fellows helped to set up before the run, and passed out running chips to participants.

College Application Season in Full Swing!

The college application season is in full swing for our senior fellows.  They have been hard at work researching and applying for colleges.  We also have had the chance to visit some amazing colleges including NC State, Appalachian State, Elon, Salem College, and Eastern Carolina.  While visiting, the fellows took campus tours, talked to current faculty and students, and even had the chance to attend a college class.  What a great opportunity for the fellows to imagine what it will be like to be a real college student!

Our junior fellows had a great time volunteering for Boo Bash, a Halloween event for elementary school students at Lake Lynn Community Center.   They worked the haunted bus and had a blast dressing in scary costumes and being with the kids.   They also learned about other great volunteer opportunities available at the Parks and Recreation Department. 

The fellows were also very fortunate this month to join other students at the Wade Edwards Learning Lab hear Dan Bullard from Wells Fargo present about the importance of money management and budgeting.   He focused on what it means to budget, tips for teen money managers, and creating a budget that helps you reach your goals.  

Finally, we are so happy to announce we have accepted a new class of fellows.  Eleven sophomores and three juniors will be joining the Elizabeth Edwards fellows community.  They will kick off the program with a party for all fellows and their families.  Welcome new fellows and congratulations on being accepted into the program!

Welcome Back Elizabeth Fellows!

Welcome to another exciting and eventful school year at the Elizabeth Edwards Fellows Program.  We are so happy to not only have back our class of senior and junior fellows, but to welcome in a new cohort of sophomore fellows. 

This month, we were very lucky to have Sarita Broadway from CFNC.org come to discuss how the College Foundation of North Carolina can help students plan, apply, and pay for college.   The free college and career planning resources that CFNC provides will be key in helping the fellows with the college application process.

The fellows were also able to attend the International Festival of Raleigh.  Thanks to the organization International Focus, which promotes, cross-cultural communication, education, and understanding, we were able to attend the festival for free.  While there, the fellows went to cultural exhibits, watched dance demonstrations, and sampled food from all around the world.  It was a great way to learn about and share world cultures as well as celebrate the diversity of the Triangle.

Finally, the fellows had a great time working with the residents of Brighton Gardens Senior Living Home.  We helped them paint some colorful pottery.  We also heard stories from many residents about how their children attended Broughton High School!    

Help Send Our Fellows To Spark The Wave Week!

Wave Week is one of the premier service-leadership training grounds in the United States.  Wave Week has trained thousands of the nation's best young service leaders.  Through their intensive 6-day program of leadership development, community service, team building activities, and summer fun, young people learn how to plan and execute better service projects while building stronger teams.  Additional skills taught at Wave Week include:

Effective Communication
Group leadership
Motivating team members
Service event planning and marketing
Fundraising and budget planning
Conflict resolution
Diversity awareness
Presentation skills
Personal and group evaluation

With your help, two of our brightest fellows, J'nyce Poe and Starasia Arnold, will be attending Wave Week in Washing D.C. this summer.  Please consider making a donation to to help our fellows take part in this life changing experience.  Thank you!

To make a donation, please visit:

 http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/ericaelrod/ericaelrodsfundraisingpage

To learn more about the program, please visit:

http://www.sparkthewave.org/wave-week/  



 

 
  

Fellows celebrate the end of the school year!

The Elizabeth Edwards fellows celebrated the end of finals at Dave and Busters.  They each received a certificate recognizing a special talent or contribution made to the program this year as well as a framed group photo.  We had a lot of fun eating, playing video games, and reminiscing about the good times we had over the school year.  After a much deserved rest, many of our fellows will be doing some exciting things over the summer.  J’nyce Poe will be attending the Shelton Leadership Challenge—a six-day residential experience held at NC State University, where student participate in activities about leadership, teambuilding, civic and social responsibility, and goal setting.   J'nyce along with Starasia Arnold will also be attending Spark the Wave Week—a week long service-leadership training held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.   Berry Martin and Cynthia Lee will be volunteering at a summer arts youth program called Artspace and Jackie Green will be volunteering at Marbles Kids Museum.  K’Lynn Beal will be running in the High School Nationals Track and Field Competition.  Finally, our new senior fellows will be visiting area colleges including, the University of North Carolina, North Carolina Central, Eastern Carolina, Campbell, Elon, and North Carolina A&T.