On May 22, we honored the successes of our SJ kids at our annual awards ceremony. Kudos to our school faculty, residential youth workers, and therapists who have worked diligently in putting our kids on the path of progress.
The headline is a quote from one of our SJ kids who shared her thoughts about successfully completing the school year. Our St. Joe’s kids – surrounded by friends, family, and staff – proudly enter our chapel in preparation for their awards ceremony. The children, ages 11-14, sit quietly and listen as the teachers affectionately praise each student for their academic achievements and personal growth. As each child stepped up to accept their award, they were greeted with a barrage of cheers and clapping from the adults and their peers. This is a testament to the incredible work of our school faculty, residential youth workers, and therapists who diligently work with our children in strengthening their social and coping skills.
Our students were happy for each other and sharing this special moment together reminded them that despite their difficulties, they can still rise above the challenges. “They are important children no matter where they are. They should all be celebrated. A lot of the time they are not because of their situation, so knowing they are appreciated and celebrated is important to them,” says Latosha Fields, a teacher at St. Joe’s Academy. *Anna, one of our SJ students, says being honored in this way is a confidence booster. “It made me feel happy, because I achieved good grades in my classes. I would like to become an author or doctor one day.”
The faculty at St. Joe’s Academy understands that influencing positive outcomes for our children starts with ensuring they have a good education. This summer, the school will be partnering with Jefferson Community and Technical College for the Workforce Solutions Program designed to introduce students to different career paths they could consider in the future. For this session, high school students and 7th and 8th graders will learn about jobs in health sciences and culinary arts. *Jennifer, another SJ student, gushes as she talks about her plans for the future: “I would like to go to college and either become a social worker or a lawyer. I’ve been doing a lot of research on good colleges and Stanford University in California is my top choice.”
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the children.
This post was supported by funds made available by the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Office of Health Equity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, under RFA-OT21-2103. The content of this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Kentucky Department for Public Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.