Wednesday, Noevmber 23, 2011
Joint Base Journal Vol. 2, No. 47
November 23, 2011
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J OINT BASE A NACOSTIA -B OLLING
www.cnic.navy.mil/jbab
Leckie student earns laptop through mentor program By Staff Sgt. Brittany E. Jones Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Public Affairs
Through hard work and dedication, Greg Lackey, 10, a fifth-grader attending Leckie Elementary School in D.C., received a brand new laptop computer with Microsoft Office 2007 software courtesy of the Area Coalitions Education-Excellence (ACE-E) program. He has spent the last month working with his mentor, Army 1st Lt. Adam Williams, Joint Air Defense Operations Center Operations Center officer. Williams applied to be a mentor with the ACE-E program at the beginning of the 2011 school year. He was matched with his mentee, Lackey, who also applied to be a mentee. ACE-E is much more than just a mentorship experience. Mentors must guide and teach their mentees while working on three different projects. "Being involved in any kind of community service to include mentoring youth provides a completely different perspective on life," Williams said. "Getting the opportunity to work with Greg has allowed me to break free of my walls and see the potential in the generations to come. When it comes to potential for the youth of today to achieve greater things, our ceiling is their floor." The first project is an autobiography. Williams and Lackey worked together to accomplish a three-paragraph essay using Microsoft Word. This initial assignment also helped the team learn more about each other. The second project was laying out a budget so the mentee could better understand financial processes and the value of a dollar. The third project was constructing a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. The presentation featured the autobiography and budget. Lackey presented his work to Rick Novak, ACE-E President and Andrea Godbey, an ACE-E "Angel" volunteer. "It takes a community to raise a child," Novak said. "The parts of this community include the loving family and home at JBAB, the caring Leckie Elementary School staff, and the ACE-E volunteer networks of 'technology-focused mentoring.'" Lackey was presented with his laptop computer during his school lunch hour by Williams and an ACE-E trustee, Gary Bliss.
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY STAFF SGT. BRITTANY E. JONES
Greg Lackey, a 5th-grader from Leckie Elementary School received a laptop computer from the Area Coalitions for Education-Excellence (ACE-E) mentor program, Nov. 21. Lackey was matched with 1st Lt. Adam Williams, Joint Aircraft Defense Operations Center officer, to work on three projects to present to board members to receive a laptop and Microsoft Office software. "I feel great about receiving the laptop," Lackey said. "I'm going to use it to e-mail my mentor when I move to Russia." Lackey was the first elementarygrade student ever to receive a laptop from the program. According to the ACE-E program, one of their goals is to inspire students of publicly supported schools to complete their education, and to provide increased opportunities for experiencing self-esteem. One of the
ways they accomplish this goal is by developing a partnership of volunteers from government, the military, private sector, and the local communities to accomplish a vision of world-class education systems in publicly supported schools. "I would recommend this program to other kids," Lackey said. "I also learned you can do whatever you want to do if you put your mind to it."
The mentees aren't the only ones learning something through this opportunity though. Mentors may also gain something from the ACE-E experience. "Honestly, from the moment I stepped foot into that school I began learning," Williams said. "One important thing I learned is that I don't have to lead a student to success-they naturally want to succeed. If I provide them the tools and the encouragement, success will be the product."
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