One Young Man at a Time: Jaden Love
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“There are 111,000 African Americans and Hispanics who graduate from the top half of the nation’s high schools but do not graduate college; 62,000 of them come from the bottom half of the family income distribution” We all know the statistics about young men of color. It is not one person or one group of people's job to make a change. It is all of us. So how do “we” ("we" meaning all of us as a human race) defy those odds? Well, the answer is one young man at a time.
This is why I would like for you to meet Jaden. Jaden is eleven years old, inquisitive, funny, kind, and well mannered. I got to know how special Jaden is through my efforts to help his mother. His mother, who is also my friend, was juggling her efforts to finish her courses along with assisting Jaden with elementary classwork and extra activities. I helped with school pickup, dinner, and sports practice whenever I could.
Recently, Jaden sent me a message that warmed my heart and lit a fire in my belly. He told me he wanted to go to Duke for college.
Jaden has worked so hard to fight the statistics about young men of color. For me, it has been a mission to support that purpose for him. Anytime I gave him a toy, I would always give a book with it to encourage him.
My conversations about his future have always remained positive. When I moved to Duke, I knew I had to encourage this enthusiasm with a visit to the school of his choice. I am very proud to work for Duke. I am very excited at the prospect of introducing Jaden to people who could help him reach his goal, including leaders in technology and bioinformatics (fields Jaden wants to go in when he grows up) and keep him inspired to defy the odds.
This is the opportunity for us to make a difference and change the statistics described in the first paragraph. Statistics are a large part of my job. As a researcher, I can build statistics, I can analyze statistics; however, the most meaningful work is when we have the ability to alter statistics. So help me do that. With me just starting my career, I realized that I couldn’t make this trip happen on my own. Help me send Jaden to visit Duke. Your contribution will go directly to airfare & other travel expenses. But more importantly, your contribution will go directly to Jaden’s dream.
This is why I would like for you to meet Jaden. Jaden is eleven years old, inquisitive, funny, kind, and well mannered. I got to know how special Jaden is through my efforts to help his mother. His mother, who is also my friend, was juggling her efforts to finish her courses along with assisting Jaden with elementary classwork and extra activities. I helped with school pickup, dinner, and sports practice whenever I could.
Recently, Jaden sent me a message that warmed my heart and lit a fire in my belly. He told me he wanted to go to Duke for college.
Jaden has worked so hard to fight the statistics about young men of color. For me, it has been a mission to support that purpose for him. Anytime I gave him a toy, I would always give a book with it to encourage him.
My conversations about his future have always remained positive. When I moved to Duke, I knew I had to encourage this enthusiasm with a visit to the school of his choice. I am very proud to work for Duke. I am very excited at the prospect of introducing Jaden to people who could help him reach his goal, including leaders in technology and bioinformatics (fields Jaden wants to go in when he grows up) and keep him inspired to defy the odds.
This is the opportunity for us to make a difference and change the statistics described in the first paragraph. Statistics are a large part of my job. As a researcher, I can build statistics, I can analyze statistics; however, the most meaningful work is when we have the ability to alter statistics. So help me do that. With me just starting my career, I realized that I couldn’t make this trip happen on my own. Help me send Jaden to visit Duke. Your contribution will go directly to airfare & other travel expenses. But more importantly, your contribution will go directly to Jaden’s dream.
Organizer
Ashley Erin
Organizer
Durham, NC