Focus and Motivation: Amore’s Successful Semester

Here at YRI, we’ve always maintained that motivated students display significantly more focus, which then leads to higher success. Amore has proven us right this past semester. She brought both her “Honor Roll” certificate of achievement and her award of excellence to the Young Stars group meeting this past Friday, and received a deserving round of applause from her peers.

For our part, we have a special prize for Amore as well to keep her encouraged as she works hard to repeat the feat this semester. In addition to being a member of the youth group, she also attends YRI’s online SAT prep classes.

Amore joined us when we first started with life planning skills training in June and she credits the introspection, reflection and planning skills she’s learned from it for her renewed academic vigor.

She is in 10th grade at Alliance Health Services Academy, but her goal in life is to have an art career or become a full time artist.

“I have a great passion for art since it’s a way for me to stay calm, happy, and express my imagination and creativity,” she told me after I asked if she was planning for a career in health services. And I should have known better since she was the one that designed the Young Stars logo.

“Many people love my art which are all originals,” she stated. “This makes me want to share them with others. There may be cases where my art can help other artists who are having a hard time trying to figure out their styles. My style can help motivate or inspire them into a style of their own.”

Amore is committed to attending college and majoring in art with the ultimate goal of pursuing an art-related career. This vision for her future and a step-by-step plan to bring it to pass served as major motivation this past semester.

“Throughout my academic life I’ve always gotten awards and medals for good attendance or honor roll,” she said. “But I never thought that I would get an award for the highest excellence in all of 10th grade. I’m hoping that these types of awards can get me into a great college and closer to my dream career.”

Here at YRI, we stand committed to help Amore and her parents position her for even greater success.

The Many Benefits of College Fairs

College Fairs provide early exposure to colleges that saves time and money!

Above: Grand Canyon University graduates Ajienne (left) and Theodore (right), December 2021

This weekend, two of our students Kirk and Justin attended a Christian College Fair hosted by West Angeles Education and Enrichment Program which featured 15 colleges. Without boarding a plane, spending a dime, or having to endure the hassles of the TSA check-in process, Kirk met with the representatives of a number of schools including Southeastern University, where it seems he may have a good opportunity to transfer to.

Justin, an 11th grader here in Los Angeles, also got the opportunity to talk with college representatives from Florida, Texas, Idaho, Arizona, in addition to the ones here from California. This is exposure to schools he obtained in three hours that would have taken miles and miles of travel and tons of dollars.

If the expected goals of college include graduation, graduate school and/or satisfying employment, one of the first steps besides working hard and getting good grades is getting into an affordable, quality college. Attending College Fairs facilitates this process.

Both parents and students get to meet live, one-on-one with representatives of the colleges and are able to ask questions and get valuable information. Additionally, they make that critical human connection and may get insights that lead to tips and clues for early admission, better financial aid and other highly sought after benefits.

While we provide our students with study group, homework help and preparation for standardized exams, we work closely with West Angeles EEP for that vital college entrance component. Attending College Fairs is a big part of this process. Stay tuned and we will keep you informed.