Summer2019•Vol ume15•I s s ue2
Yout hF i r s tGi vesMat t i ngl yAwar d Wi nneraReas ont oBel i eveI nHi ms el f FREETi c ket st o Web. c om T our Champi ons hi pat HoneyMoonPl us •Aug. 19– 23, 2019 •7: 00–9: 00am •HoneyMoonPl us i ns i deOl dNat i onal BankHQl obby •Comehavec offee wi t hus !We’ l lbe gi vi ngawayf r ee admi s s i ont ot he Web. c om T our Champi ons hi pf r om Aug. 30– Sept . 2.
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onupc omi ngevent s , vi s i t yout hfir s t i nc . or gor c ont ac tShel bySout har d, Event s&Devel opment Manager , at8124218336 x115.
F r om a nea r l ya ge, 1 4y ea rol dI a nha d ma nyobs t a c l est oov er c ome, i nc l udi nga n i na bi l i t yt of oc usi ns c hool . Mos tpa r ent s pa r t nerwi t hment a lhea l t hpr ov i der sor doc t or st oa ddr es st hi sa t t ent i oni s s uei n t hei rc hi l dr en. Howev er , I a n’ spa r ent sha dt hei rown t r oubl es , a ndhewa sof t enl ef twi t houtt he ADHDmedi c a t i onheneededt odowel li n s c hool . Bul l y i nga ndf r equents c hoolmov es onl yc ompoundedhi spr obl ems . Byt het i meI a nmetY out hF i r s tSoc i a l Wor k erKa t i eOmohundr oi n6t hgr a de, he wa sr ea c t i ngwi t ha ngera ndot her beha v i or st ha twer ema k i nghi ss i t ua t i ona t homea nds c hoolev enmor edi ffic ul t .
t oi dent i f ya ndbui l dhi sowns t r engt hs . He pa r t i c i pa t edi ns por t s , f or medf r i ends hi ps , a ndc ont i nuedwor k i ngonc opi ngs k i l l s wi t ht hehel pofhi sgua r di a na ndY out h F i r s tSoc i a lWor k er s .
Ka t i ehel pedI a nt a l ka boutt het r oubl esi n hi sl i f ea ndwa soneoft he r s ta dul t she wi t nes s eda dv oc a t i ngf orhi sba s i cneeds : a dr ugf r eehome, phy s i c a la ndemot i ona l s a f et y , a ndar el i a bl eADHDpr es c r i pt i on.
Theoppor t uni t yt opl a ys por t st hepa s t t woy ea r sha sbeenpa r t i c ul a r l yi mpor t a nt t ohi sgr owt h. Al t houghheha spa r t i c i pa t ed i nba s k et ba l l , f oot ba l l , ba s eba l la nd wr es t l i ng, hepl a nst oc onc ent r a t eon wr es t l i ng-hi sf a v or i t es por t-i nhi gh s c hool . Heha sa l s obeenwor k i ngon s et t i ngl ongt er m goa l sa ndhopest o a t t endc ol l ege.
Sl owl yat ea m ofs uppor t i v ea dul t s , i nc l udi nghi sgua r di a n, t ea c her s , a nd a dmi ni s t r a t or s , s ur r oundedI a na ndga i ned hi st r us t . Whenhet r a ns f er r edt ohi s s ev ent hs c hooli nt he2nds emes t erof6t h gr a de, Y out hF i r s tSoc i a lWor k erMa r yRut h Br a ns t et t erwa st her et ogr eethi m, a l r ea dy k nowi nghi sneedsa ndpot ent i a l . “ T a l k i ngt oherwa smys a f epl a c e, ”s a i dI a n. “ Shehel pedmeunder s t a ndwhymyl i f e wa st hewa yi twa s–a ndt ha ti twa s n’ tmy f a ul t . ” NowI a nc oul dbegi nt odowha tev er yc hi l d needst odo–us et hehel pofc a r i nga dul t s
Thi ss pr i ng, I a nwa sa wa r dedt heDon Ma t t i ngl yY out hF i r s tAwa r df orMi ddl e Sc hool . Ashepr epa r esf orhi ghs c hool , he k nowsY out hF i r s twi l lbet her ef orhi m a ga i na thi snews c hool . I nt hewor dsofhi sgua r di a n, Cher iKi ng: “ Y out hF i r s tha sgi v enac hi l d, whowa s dea l taba dha ndi nl i f ea ndwa sa l wa y sa s t epbehi nd, ar ea s ont obel i ev ei nhi ms el f . Hea ndIwi l lnev erf or gett ha t . ”