Now More Than Ever: CIS of Thomasville says volunteers offer guidance
Isaiah encountered many barriers that was making it difficult for him to be the first in his immediate family to attend college. He lives in a single parent family with his two siblings, where he helps his Autistic bother with his school work. Isaiah had a childhood injury that resurfaced his senior year resulting in him having surgery which sidelined him both from the football field and the classroom for an extended period of time. Once returning to school he was targeted by a bully resulting in a physical altercation that could have led to disciplinary actions from the school. His mother felt overwhelmed along with being unsure of how to begin the college application process and paid for him to attend.
Kathy Hinkle, our CIS of Thomasville graduation coach at the high school, recognized that Isaiah was a bright and committed student who just needed guidance in able to be successful. She placed him on her case load so she could assist him and his family in making the dream of a college degree a reality. She ensured his school work was completed and returned when he was out of school recovering from his injury. She intervened on his behalf during the bullying incident to help mitigate the situation so he remained at school to continue his education. She was also able to help walk the family though the complexities of applying for college by helping connect him with the right individuals at Davidson Davie County Community College, assisting with filling out the application, and even finding a local company to provide a full scholarship with job shadowing opportunities.
Isaiah graduated Thomasville Senior High School and is presently attending DDCC with a scholarship to further his dream of becoming an engineer. Isaiah’s mother is quickly to point out that Ms. Hinkle is to take much of the credit. Ms. Hemphill’s describes Ms. Hinkle as a “God Sent”. She credits Ms. Hinkle for guiding them both through all these situations mentioned above and keeping them on track to achieving the dream of college. Ms. Hemphill adds that “without Ms. Hinkle’s help my son would have struggled to graduate High School and most likely would not have been able to attend college”.
Communities In Schools of Thomasville serves students who face significant barriers to school success, which places them at high-risk of dropping out of school. CIS works inside of Thomasville City Schools full-time, building relationships with students to empower them to stay in school and succeed in life. Working within schools with students daily, our staff are able to identify and tackle non-academic challenges that others might not see. We can address immediate needs from food and clothing to more complex needs like counseling and mentoring. CIS of Thomasville identifies and meets the human service needs of Thomasville City School students and in the surrounding area of Davidson County through Responsible leadership. Hundreds of students in Thomasville face overwhelming roadblocks to their academic and personal success. Learning disabilities. Homelessness. Bullying. The emotional effects of trauma. Untreated medical or dental conditions. A lack of school supplies and clothes. We’re in schools every day to spot and overcome the roadblocks in our students’ way. Out Integrated Student Support Program consists of three primary activities: (1) intensive case management of students at highest risk, (2) addressing basic needs for all students in need including weekend food backpacks, school supplies, clothing, and family support, and (3) connecting community volunteers to the individual needs of students within our schools. Communities In Schools conducted qualitative research on a national level that concluded that CIS Integrated Student Supports help kids stay in school and reaffirm that CIS if fully committed to evaluation and improvement which will ensure that all kids graduate from high school ready to succeed in life.
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