Page 3 - August Report

THE STAKES ARE ALWAYS BIGGER THAN THE STUDENT
Sitevisitsarealwaysproductive. Often,welearnnewthings. More often we are reminded of things we already knew. This month I had the privilege of visiting the office space of Elevation Scholars
in Orlando, Florida. Scott Lee, their Executive Director, arranged for breakfast and an office tour. I had meaningful conversations with key leadership, including their Board Chair, Manager of Development and the Founder. These were articulate, memorable people with a fervent passion for serving students.
The visit with leadership was briefly interrupted by two office visitors — a young man and his mother. Steven Thang is a 2023 high school graduate in the Elevation Scholars program. He has recently been accepted to the University of Florida where he plans to study computer science. This morning, he was picking up the new laptop, which Elevation Scholars provided for his college studies. This was an exciting day for Steven whose family is from Myanmar and whose first languages are Burmese and Zou. More information on Steven and his remarkable story are included in this monthly report.
I didn’t include Steven’s picture here because this article is really not about him or Elevation Scholars. As captivating as Steven was, it was his mother, Naw Aye, that caught my attention. She was quietly following two steps behind her son ... and she was beaming. Her face could hardly contain her smile. She did not say a word. She simply nodded politely, but you couldn’t miss what she was ‘saying’.
In a few weeks, we will all visit Providence St. Mel. The site visit will include time with the school’s leadership. The hallways, classrooms and cafeteria will likely be bustling with students. And even though we won’t see the students’ family members, they are there. They’re always there. Behind every student, there is someone vested in the student’s life — a parent, relative, sibling, coach, or friend.
The stakes are always bigger than the student. Their success benefits their family, friends and ultimately the community in which they live, work or serve. This reality is a critical piece of our theory of change.
As a private foundation, our work can be measured by many metrics — dollars, students, scholarships, graduates, the list goes on. All of these are useful, but none of them can truly capture the impact, because the stakes are bigger than the students.
Robert A. Krause
Page 1 HORIZONS