To students: All eyes on you

Young people should know that no matter what they are doing, somebody is watching.

Shantell Steve of Julian H.S said she had no idea the president would have her in his speech, not just President Barack Obama but “the president in general,” she said.

Steve’s story is one of overcoming very extenuating circumstances and speaks to what Obama said in his address Tuesday to the nation’s students.

Steve’s story, though the one the president chose to mention, is not a rare occurrence. Stories of rampant crime and youthful offenders saturate local and network news on a daily basis. Last year, dozens of school children were buried before the summer break.

But reported usually as part of a special report, which are published few and far between, are stories like Steve’s.

The fact of the matter is young people need to know that the adults in their lives, in their community, in their nation, are watching them–not to see them fail, fall victim or become a perpetrator, but because they are capable of greatness.

A young girl in Dillon, South Carolina had no idea that her letter to Congress would have the far-reaching effect it had on her high school. She only wanted to have a decent, healthy and safe school building in which to learn.

In return, she was invited to D.C., as a guest of the First Lady Michelle Obama, and her school ended up getting some much needed renovations.

When Broadway actress Felicia Fields was taking the long commute back and forth from her South Side home across town to Von Steuben high school, she had no idea her hard work and talent would lead to a starring role in a hit Broadway play and a Tony Award nomination.

______

To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.