Achiever Highlight

Alyssa joined Friends of the Children when she was in kindergarten. Now in sixth grade, Alyssa has been working with her Friend, Ms. Shaunti, to develop her Problem-Solving and Growth Mindset Core Assets. Throughout fifth grade, Alyssa struggled with attendance in school because of a difficult commute and not being able to travel on her own. As a result, Alyssa had over 20 absences and struggled to keep up with her classwork. Ms. Shaunti helped Alyssa recognized the importance of being able to travel independently, especially as a student in NYC. She did not want her commute to dictate which high school she would eventually attend.

To develop her Problem-Solving skills and instill a Growth Mindset, Ms. Shaunti worked with Alyssa every week, coaching her on how to navigate the NYC public transportation system with the goal of eventually being able to safely and independently travel to school on her own. Once Alyssa had mastered the commute to school, she was able to convince her mom to allow her to travel on her own. As of December, Alyssa’s attendance has improved tremendously, and her grades have improved as well. With the help of Ms. Shaunti and a focus on developing her Core Assets, Alyssa was able to find a solution to the obstacle that stood in her way and is looking forward to traveling to the high school of her choice in a few years.