A STAKE IN
Student Success
“We’re the Harrisons of Harrison Park!” Keith and Connie Harrison like to joke. Their last name matches the name of the school where they taught for many years. From their adjoining classrooms, they saw the transition that began when Grand Rapids Community Foundation and Grand Rapids Public Schools introduced Challenge Scholars to Harrison Park School. “Our first class of Challenge Scholars will graduate from Union High School in 2020, and it is so exciting because we know these kids,” Keith said. “We were there when Challenge Scholars started.” Keith and Connie watched the west side neighborhood become more culturally diverse. They also saw the gaps in opportunity and access to experience that many of their students faced compared to students in other Grand Rapids neighborhoods. “So you see all these things happening and you really care,” Keith said. “You want them to make it. You know they can make it. You can see the kind of people they are going to be.” That passion for student success feeds their excitement for Challenge Scholars. Connie told us, “I am just crazy about the kids and the Challenge Scholars program. To see the kids actually have a chance, the ones that will actually do it, and who might not have the opportunity otherwise, it makes our hearts different.”
Watching the community show up to support Challenge Scholars students warmed Connie and Keith’s hearts. They felt inspired as college representatives decorated hallways and spoke to students. They applauded volunteers who showed up to help guide students along a college-going path. And they watched attitudes change, as students who didn’t see success beyond high school started to consider college or career training as an option. After careers dedicated to educating and encouraging students, Keith and Connie have settled into retirement. They live on a peaceful wooded lot with chirping birds and a babbling brook. They are raising chickens and learning the ins and outs of farm life. Yet they are not content to rest on their accomplishments. They remain personally invested in the future of “their students”—those they taught and any future Challenge Scholars. From following student successes on Facebook to donating to the Challenge Scholars Fund, the Harrisons are all in. “We have a personal stake in their future success. We are not millionaires and we cannot give a lot, but we give what we can,” Keith said. The Harrisons emanate pride when they talk about the fast-approaching Class of 2020 graduation day. They describe the path to success as a collection of building blocks. Teachers, community members, families and, of course, the students themselves, pave the path. As lifelong student advocates, educators and donors, Keith and Connie are proud to be stepping stones that put students closer to a brighter future.
PARTNERS in community | 4
H.G.F.
D.B.B.P.
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To see the kids actually have a chance, the ones that will actually do it, and who might not have the opportunity otherwise, it makes our hearts different.”