E DU C AT ION
DIVING IN TO A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE
op e p y a he w
“ 2 Impact Winter|Spring 2011
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TAUREAN STOVALL’S ART CAREER STARTED WITH AN UNPLANNED DIVE INTO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. “I was fishing with a friend and I fell in,” he recalls. “I
minority] men,” he says.
was scared of the water after that. So my parents and my
“I want to become the
counselors at ConnectiKids decided I should learn how
best Taurean I can be.”
to swim.” In his case, that meant a With one new skill mastered, Taurean began to explore
commitment to art. “I’ve
other waters through the summer and after-school
always loved to draw, so
programs at ConnectiKids, a United Way Community
Ric [Herrera] and the
Investment partner that serves elementary school students
other staff helped me take
Because of contributions like
in the Asylum Hill and Barry Square neighborhoods of
it to the next level. They
yours to United Way Community
Hartford.
made me the editor of
Investment, Taurean Stovall of
the summer yearbook for
Hartford not only finished high
“One of our goals is to expose the kids to new things,
two years in a row. I got
school – today he is a successful
whether it’s fine and performing arts, swimming, martial
to work with professional
art major at the University of
arts, or cooking. But academics comes first,” notes Ricardo
artists,” he recalls.
Connecticut.
Herrera, ConnectiKids’ former executive director. Taurean has remained involved with the agency ever
3,000
since, participating in its alumni program for middle
young people improved their academic
and high school students and serving as a public speaker and advocate. Meanwhile, his quest for excellence has
skills last year in after-school and summer programs
led him from Hartford Public High School to Capital Community College, then to UConn’s West Hartford
because you gave to United Way Community Investment.
campus and finally to UConn’s Storrs campus, where he currently studies fine arts.
ConnectiKids’ tutoring and mentoring programs work
“I want to keep challenging myself,” he says. “Ric always
hand-in-hand with neighborhood schools to ensure that
told me, ‘You can do it, you can do it.’ And I will.”
out-of-school time is time well-spent. “When they don’t have that push from home, we try to be that push,” says
Your contributions to United Way Community Investment
Herrera.
support an interconnected web of education, income, health and safety net services that help our neighbors build a better
Taurean is fortunate to have a close-knit family –
life for themselves. That includes after-school and summer
with four siblings who also attended ConnectiKids.
programs that help children and youth develop the skills
Still, he says, “I was at a turning point in my life, and
for success in school and in life. To learn more, visit
ConnectiKids gave me so many wonderful role models. I
unitedwayinc.org/education.
decided I want to change the way people think of [urban Impact Winter|Spring 2011
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