October 2007
Tyra is 16 and has completed her sophomore year at the Roosevelt campus. She exudes confidence. With a 3.8 grade point average, her sights are set on an academic scholarship to Howard or Columbia. She hopes to become a journalist and is excited that she has already had a letter to the editor published in the Oregonian.

She wasn’t always doing this well.

As an eighth grader at Portsmouth Middle School, she was spending a lot of time hanging out with friends. Although her test scores showed she was learning, her grades were suffering because she wasn’t turning in her school work.

A friend suggested that she go to STEP UP, so she gave it a try. Staff were there to listen and help her with homework. Tyra credits Open Meadow’s STEP UP program for helping get organized and focused. Soon she was getting better grades. 

For Tyra, the one-week STEP UP summer camp was a highlight. At first, she said, the students from Portsmouth and George Middle Schools didn’t get along, but that quickly changed. Activities like the ropes course helped them to learn about each other and become friends. She especially liked when each student got the chance to tell their story to the group and hear their peers’ feedback. When peers told her she was smart and reliable, she was a bit skeptical, but it meant a lot.

Tyra enjoyed STEP UP so much that during her sophomore year she decided to become a mentor for freshmen in the program. She likes helping younger peers with their homework and enjoys keeping in close touch with them, checking up on them and urging them to come often to tutoring. Also, being a mentor meant she got to attend camp another year.

Tyra’s advice: “Have STEP UP for juniors and seniors too. Some kids just need the extra attention and help. We need all the support we can get to push us forward to get our education.”