High School Students Tour UVA, Monticello

By L. J. McCoy, Jr.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- While ninth grade students DeAngelo Gray, Taniyan Gregory, and Juan Ledesma enjoyed talking about their GPA improvements, twelfth graders Taylor Lowery and Dylan White spoke on what they could gain from the tour.

For their April 20 year-end merit trip, MEGA Mentors took over 70 high school students from Carver Career College & Academy, the Career & Technical Center, and Meadowbrook High Schools on a field trip of the University of Virginia and Thomas Jefferson’s home of Monticello. Touring the campus of UVA, they learned that although Jefferson designed the school he was educated at William & Mary; the school was built by slaves; and early students enjoyed calithumping (riding horses while shooting). In a Peabody Hall lecture, Allyson Umali explained the various academic courses available for study at the institution.

After lunch in the campus cafeteria, the young scholars visited Jefferson’s Monticello home and gardens. Featuring an entrance foyer museum with Native American and trophy artifacts, the home amazed the students with Jefferson’s book collection and innovative inventions. The stop also included a slave tour of a reconstructed slave home and the Jefferson family grave site.

“Everyone enjoyed the field trip,” said Brenda White, a classroom mentor at Carver Academy. “The students were especially engaged and in awe during the tour and history of Monticello and the grounds. They were on their best behavior as they were educated in the history of this 25th nationally ranked university.”

MEGA Hosts Excellence Awards & Recognition Celebration

By L. J. McCoy, Jr.
and Misha King

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. -- As the student jazz ensemble played easy listening music at the Career Training Center on Hull St., students, administrators, and guests filled the Thomas Flugrum auditorium May 31 as MEGA Mentors held its 2018 Excellence Awards and Recognition Celebration.

Program MC Phil “Philly Phil” Daniels kept everyone’s interest before introducing Chesterfield School Board Chair John M. Erbach and Interim Superintendent Dr. Donald Fairheart. Inspiring the students as the guest speaker, Dr. Jame’l R. Hodges who is the Associate VP of Student Success and Engagement at Virginia State University pushed self-esteem, motivation, and respect upon the students.

MEGA Mentors Vice Presidents Howard Corey and Ed Baine, and Membership and Training Co-Chair Carol Dalesa Mack-Grisby presented the Students of the Year Awards. The awardees were:

Students of the Year
Carver Middle School
Milagros Torres and Thomas Roy – Grade 6
Keyaisa Dodson and Patrick Noggins – Grade 7
Yemen Brown and Evan James Brown – Grade 8

Falling Creek Middle School
Anyah Allen and Caden Cosely-Sims – Grade 6
Keira Lawrence and Jake Martinez – Grade 7
Brianna Johnson and Jeremiah Grey – Grade 8

Manchester Middle School
Trinity Goode and John Campos – Grade 6
Diamond Burrell and Tyler Richardson – Grade 7
Debony Martin and Caron Greene – Grade 8

Providence Middle School
Anjeolaoluwa R. Archer and Naeshon D. Wilson – Grade 6
Evelin Y. Alfaro Rivas and Andre S. Lockey – Grade 7
Desiree N. Baldwin-Bailey and Martin D. Ellerbee, Jr. – Grade 8

Salem Church Middle School
Aria Armstead and Jerome Hazelwood – Grade 6
Jailen Austin – Grade 7

CTC Hull 360 Academy
Derrick Ross and Eberlin Izaguirre-Cuellar – Grade 9

Carver College and Career Academy
Antoinette Williams and Zyaire Muhammed – Grade 9
Grace Stone and Devonte Lewis – Grade 10
Sherlin Urgell and Dylan White – Grade 11
Tasia Bibbs and Enoch Bullock – Grade 12

Meadowbrook High School
Najee Williams and Sean Summers – Grade 9
Tumilya Barksdale – Grade 10
Alexis Jones and Kirt Studevant – Grade 11
Diamond Coleman and Tyrone Campbell – Grade 12

Mentors, Coordinators, School and Partnership Awardees

Mentors of the Year
Verna Bradby – Providence Middle School
Adam Hawkins – 360 Academy

School Coordinators of the Year
Jori Swingen – Falling Creek Middle School
Karen Lee – Meadowbrook High School

School of the Year
Manchester Middle School

Partnership Award
Midlothian Rotary Club

Additionally, Manchester Middle School was awarded a $5,000 STEM Grant for being the MEGA Mentors School of the Year.

MEGA Mentors President Greg Cummings also recognized all the classroom mentors for their hard work and dedication in helping improve students' lives.

Cummings concluded the program by inviting churches, retirees, and individuals to volunteer their services to assist in mentoring our FUTURE by contacting MEGA Mentors at info@megamentors.org.