Essay: Essay: Catherine Duvall
ESSAY: CATHERINE DUVALL TIME TO RISE What exactly does it mean to be an at-risk youth? These are children who experience obstacles on their path to adulthood and may not be successful because of particular challenges in their lives (Smith). The success discussed here is not purely academic. It is the child’s ability to be victorious in the labor force as well as becoming financially independent, and most importantly, staying out of illegal activities. There are a multitude of factors that cause a child to be placed in the “at-risk” category. These factors can include: lack of parental guidance, academic disorders, drug availability, poverty, hunger, and child abuse. The most significant and most common determinant is poverty. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, more than 10 million kids were living in poverty in 2019, and that number has only continued to rise. The pressing statistic is that 71% of children in poverty are children of color. I am not one of 10 million, and I am not in the 71%. Growing up, I have rarely had to go without anything that I needed. At age three, I was placed in preschool and began kindergarten at six years old. For the past 13 years, I have attended a predominantly white private school. The privilege that I am exposed to each day is incredible. My school offers both breakfast and lunch to its students, and some kids even stay on campus past dinnertime. I could not be more grateful for the education that I have received, and I have recently realized how insanely lucky I am to be able to attend Ensworth. Bill Weaver and David Whitfield founded Time to Rise with the goal of giving at-risk children around Nashville access to the education that I receive year-round. During the critical years of ages nine through twelve, childhood education is vital to the development of at-risk youth because it can either set them on a path for success or lead them astray. In 1992, Time to Rise was founded by a passionate man, Mr. Weaver, who dreamed of creating an educational nonprofit organization to assist at-risk youth. With a reputation of having civic excellence, Time to Rise gives students an opportunity to increase their chances of success. By stressing the importance of both character development and educational excellence, Time to Rise has helped thousands of underprivileged children avoid the risk factors that they’re exposed to at home. Each summer, Time to Rise hosts three consecutive summer camps that offer enrichment opportunities for the kids, including learning about school and character development. Every student who attends the camp comes highly recommended by their teachers. These kids are yearning to learn, motivated to better themselves, and are all around passionate about life itself. They come with an abundant amount of potential and the ultimate goal of Time to Rise is to help them reach it. As both a counselor and a teacher for Time to Rise, the one-on-one support given to the students is vital. With an approximate 1:4 staff-student ratio, the students have continuous exposure with teachers and counselors who are experts in their fields (Time to Rise). While academic excellence is a top priority of Time to Rise, it is also essential to teach the children
- 45 -
