As the CISNCAP Connected School Manager at Kramer Middle School in S.E., DC, I have observed that our students tend to be overlooked despite facing unique challenges outside of school daily. One of my caseload students, K.D., is in the 8th grade and is 13 years old. He loves football and aspires to be a high school and college student-athlete.

K.D. joined Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital (CISNCAP) as a self-referral and expressed interest in wanting a mentor. I was excited for him to be my mentee, and while building a relationship with him, he confided in me that he needed an adult he could trust to help him navigate challenges at school. I told him that I would be his mentor and that he could trust me to provide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) support.

I connected him with a tutor and counseling support service to address some of his barriers. Additionally, he is playing on the football team, which teaches him life skills. I conduct classroom push-ins and check-ins with him weekly to ensure he is part of my Life Skills group called “Man Time.” I also gave him advice on how to persevere despite adversity.

This school year has been going well for K.D. His attendance has been consistent, and his grades are good. K.D. feels he has access to resources such as Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital at his school. We are now working on identifying high schools that would fit him academically and athletically. I plan to connect him with some high school football coaches so that he can start visiting schools of interest.