MEGA High School Students Tour UR and Black History Museum: MEGA Mentors sponsored the annual merit trip on April 10th for over 20 students from Chesterfield Career and Technical Center at Hull (Academy 360) and Meadowbrook High School to experience University of Richmond (UR) and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. At their first stop at UR’s Queally Center, administrations intern Cady Green addressed academic, financial and graduation aspects the university could offer. A campus guide then took the group on a detailed tour of the UR facilities where the students gained a general understanding of the school’s advantages. After lunch in the campus dining facilities, the students headed to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia where Ms. Adele Johnson, the museum’s executive director, greeted them with an overview of the center. As the students walked the galleries and studied the various displays and paintings, they gained a better understanding of the footprint African Americans made on the Capital City’s history.

Middle School Students Visit RCC and Monticello: MEGA middle school students embarked on their annual merit trip on April 15th. During their excursion, the students visited Reynolds Community College where they learned about their academic options after high school. The group also traveled to Charlottesville where they visited Monticello, the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. The annual middle and high school trips are part of MEGA’s mission reward student achievement and expose them to experiential activities to broaden their perspectives. To participate, students must meet or exceed goals regarding attendance, grades and disciplinary actions.

Financing the Future with Knowledge: MEGA Mentor Kevin Nicholson spoke with students at Meadowbrook on April 11th as part of MEGA’s Speakers’ Bureau program. Mr. Nicholson spoke about his life’s journey, not being afraid to fail, saving money and careers in financial management. Mr. Nicholson is chief market strategist at RiverFront Investment Group in Richmond.

Recognition Celebration Honors Outstanding Students and Members: Over 350 students, family members, school officials and MEGA members attended the 2019 Excellence Awards and Recognition Celebration which was held on May 30th. This year’s guest speaker was Ms. Christy Coleman, the current CEO of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond. Ms. Coleman engaged the crowd with stories of her struggles in deciding a career path and starting over several times before she found her passion in history. “It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do right now,” said Coleman while specifically addressing the students. “Enjoy your youth. Take your time and find your passion. It’s okay to change your mind along the way.”

Annual Membership Meeting Hosted by JTCC: Over 70 members attended MEGA’s Annual Meeting September 17th at John Tyler Community College Midlothian Campus where the president spoke. Members learned about MEGA’s past school year accomplishments and goals for the current school year. Comedian Micah “Bam-Bamm” White hosted a MEGA Mentors edition of the Family Feud game show where attendees learned about MEGA in a fun-charged environment.

2020 Fine Art Benefit and Sale: MEGA Mentors 9th Annual Fine Art Benefit and Sale is being held on Friday, January 17th, 2020. This event will be attended by over 300 patrons and will feature fine art, a silent auction featuring electronic bidding, music by Cloud 9, as well as an assortment of food and beverages.

Updates By School

Ecoff Elementary: Ecoff Elementary Lunch Buddies is off to an outstanding start this 2019-2020 school year! What began as a pilot for MEGA’s Elementary mentoring programming during the 2018-2019 school year has become an exemplary mentoring model for all elementary schools in Chesterfield County. The partnership under the direction of MEGA Liaison Dr. Bobbie Anderson, Ecoff Elementary principal Mrs. Tait, literacy specialist Mrs. Cheatham, and school counselor Mrs. Watts is a joint initiative with Second Baptist Church of Chester.

Harrowgate Elementary: The MEGA Mentors Reading Program at Harrowgate Elementary School was launched the second week in December thanks to the support of Christina Serola, principal; Sharon We bb, literacy specialist and school coordinator; and volunteers from John Tyler Community College. Eight students have mentors to read and talk with during their lunch period. The Harrowgate mentoring team hopes to grow so more students can experience this special time of sharing.

Reams Elementary: Reams Elementary Breakfast Book Buddies launched in November 2019 strategically serving 12 to 16 students each week. Elementary Assistant Principal Kristin Saady and Guidance Counselor Lisa St. Pierre welcomed MEGA Liaison Pastor Daniel Robertson III of Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministry and his team of volunteers. This partnership is a mega opportunity to serve the Reams Elementary community.

Carver Middle: Dr. Anthony McLaurin, new principal at Carver Middle School, embraces the adage “it takes a village…” He partnered with CMS MEGA Mentors, Second Baptist Church, and Signs and Wonders Ministries to kick off the school year with a back-to-school cookout. With the threat of rain and an impending storm, the “village” convened at the Broadwater community to show their care and support to CMS students and families. CMS MEGA Mentors demonstrate the same spirit. For the 2019-2020 school year, they faced the challenge of mentoring sessions being held at the end of the school day. They adjusted their schedules. Eleven mentors returned from last year, and one new mentor joined the team to show their care and support to over 60 mentees.

Falling Creek Middle: The Falling Creek MEGA Mentors team continues a successful program working with new School Coordinator Ashton Bohannon, School Counselor and her supervisor Dr. Pamela Wilkerson, School Counseling Coordinator. This year the 2019-2020 program has 38 students (19 boys and 19 girls). Many of the 7th & 8th grade students are continuing in the program. However, there are 16 brand new 6th graders who have entered the program, and these students are thrilled to have the opportunity to remain a part of MEGA Mentors for the next few years.

Manchester Middle: At Manchester Middle School, we’ve teamed with the school administration and our community partner, Spring Creek Baptist Church to realize our organizational goal. For example, in support of the 30 plus MEGA students and 10 volunteers, Manchester Middle added counseling and administrative support to complement the current school coordinator’s role. Also, in support of the 6th grade community, MEGA funds snacks for the after-school tutoring program that is led by Spring Creek Baptist Church. Mr. David Altizer, Principal of Manchester Middle summed it up best when he said, “You are truly making a difference for our students and our community. We’re encouraged by the progress but are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. It’s our firm belief that “the best is yet to come.”

Providence Middle: For the second time in seven years Providence Middle School was awarded MEGA’s “School of The Year.” Providence had 14 mentors and 49 students of which 75 percent qualified for MEGA’s year-end merit field trip. The school has gone beyond to meet participating student needs and make MEGA’s Mentorship Program inclusive and productive. At the highest levels of the organization, there is unmistakable evidence of personal leadership commitment from Dr. Amanda Voelker, Principal, and Sandra Judge-Harden, Assistant Principal and School Coordinator. Their ongoing cooperation and support are a model for other MEGA schools.

Salem Church Middle: During this past year, the MEGA Mentor team at Salem Church Middle School worked collaboratively with the school coordinator and administration to provide mentoring support for 22 students. We are blessed to have 9 volunteers from our community partner First Baptist Church-Centralia who diligently served as mentors. We are all eager and excited to begin the new year and continue to support our youth.

Meadowbrook High: The Meadowbrook Speakers Bureau continues to enlighten students. This year, professionals in the healthcare and financial industries were featured. At the healthcare session, students were able to learn about the profession’s educational requirements and get a broad perspective on available positions and salary ranges. The financial session attracted 40 students and was hosted by Kevin Nicholson. He shared information on his background, how he landed in finance, and covered the optional careers in the financial industry.

Thomas Dale High: MEGA Mentors lives up to its goals of increasing awareness of higher education and decreasing disciplinary incidents among African American students. MEGA has done a terrific job committing to our students for the second year in a row. Along with Clint Patterson, Coordinator and Dean of Students, MEGA works hard to build solid relationships with our students and is intentional about enlightening students on the importance of personal responsibility, effort and achievement. We look forward each year to collaborating with MEGA Mentors!

Carver College and Career Academy: MEGA Mentors is working with the faculty of Carver Academy to enlighten the student body on the fastest growing industries and career opportunities in Chesterfield County over the next five years. So far over 40 students have participated in discussions on the healthcare and personal serv ice industries. Future sessions are planned for the construction, engineering, small business and real estate industries. One student stated after the healthcare sessions “I never knew that there was that many opportunities that paid such salaries in the healthcare industry.”

Monacan High: About 50 Monacan high school students had the opportunity to spend six hours working on the farm owned by its’ community partner Mt Gilead Full Gospel International Church. The students picked, clean and prepared for shipment about 1300 pounds of product from the fall crop. All food was donated to the Food Bank.