High School is never an easy road to navigate, there are always going to be a couple of ups and downs. Fortunately for our students, we have Social-Emotional Courses through Ambassadors of Compassion (AOC) . These courses present an opportunity to mature in many different ways and positively impact their overall academic experience. One of these courses is our LIFE course! Labor, Influence, Forgiveness, Experiences (LIFE) is a course that helps students look within, and learn the importance of work to accomplish things that matter to them. You can learn more about it in this recent blog post.
Tiana, one of our High School Flex Academy Students, was brave enough to be one of the first students to enroll in this course this semester. She worked hard, changed her perspectives on her classes and completely turned her grades around! She’s even got some A’s currently despite English being her second language. Her LIFE Course Teacher, Mrs. Makkai, is particularly proud of her for coming out of her shell this semester and taking her life into her own hands.
From Tiana’s LIFE course teacher, Mrs. Karen Makkai:
“Tiana really follows her schedule well – She is doing really well in the LIFE course and has been the perfect student to Pilot the course with as she is not afraid to ask questions. Tiana has become a very conscientious student, is now passing and even has some A’s in her courses”.
Tiana has put in the work, and it’s paying off with good grades and some new friends. When we asked her what the secret was to her success, Tiana felt that it was as simple as always asking questions and getting involved in school events.
We talked to Tiana about her recent accomplishments, and here’s what we learned about her.
“I really like my LIFE course teacher because of her personality, and if i have any questions, I contact her,” said Tiana. “What I have learned was that there’s so much more to learn about myself that I don’t know.”
Tiana is active in our Lunch Bunch and the Art Club, and just about any event where she has the opportunity to chat with her Elite schoolmates. She is one of the reasons we decided to start our very own anime/comic club! She expressed her interest on the topics and inspired other students to note their interest as well. Our staff jumped at the chance to put together this engaging and connective experience for our students. Tiana is one of the club’s “founding” members.
“I always wanted to learn more about Anime and Manga drawing because I watch a lot of that genre. I’m hoping I can start my own Anime/Manga Club here at Elite. When I’m not gaming online, I’m chatting with my Elite friends,” said Tiana.
It’s not easy getting grades back up, and we’re so glad Tiana had the courage to take this LIFE class to help her get back on track not only academically, but socially as she thrives with friends and leadership skills in taking on her new club. Congrats, Tiana!
“I love how they are teaching (at Elite) and how they inspired me to learn more about me. They taught me a lot over the past year that I’ve been with them and I am grateful to those who taught me”.
