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Page A5
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Beat the Odds: A
Celebration of
Youth
M arian W right E delman
Daniel has known hard times.
While in high school, he and his
family were evicted from their home
and had to live in a van for eight
months. While his mother worked,
Daniel was responsible for cleaning,
cooking meals, and caring for his six
sibling. There were times when
Daniel had to miss school to care for
a sick child. Despite many obstacles,
Daniel "Beat the Odds.” He com
pleted 10 honors-level classes; can
speak English, Spanish, French, and
some German; and maintained a 3.8
grade point average. Daniel, a re
cipient o f the Children’s Defense
Fund (CDF) "Beat the Odds” award,
has set high standards for himself.
Today, he is fulfilling his dream o f
going to college and is working to
ward his degree at the University o f
Pennsylvania.
Rhondee was a CDF “Beat the
Odds” recipient in 1992. While a
high school senior, Rhondee, in an
award-winning speech entitled “ Im
pact o f Violence on the Family,”
described the murder o f her aunt in
1983 and the effect this tragedy had
on her family. Overnight, the size o f
her household increased from seven
to eleven. This added burden put
tremendous strain on her parents’
marriage and they separated. As the
oldest child, Rhondee assumed a great
deal o f responsibility, including pre
paring meals and helping to care for
the younger children, while at the
same time maintaining a A+ grade
average and remaining active in
school activities. Rhondee was a
National Merit Commended Scholar,
a member o f the National Honor
Society, president o f her high school
senior class, and volunteered in her
community. When recommending
her for the award, her school counse
lor said Rhondee “attributes her ac
complishments to a single-minded
devotion to the pursuit o f academic
excellence, an intense sense o f opti
mism, and a steadfast belief in God."
Rhondee graduated from Spellman in
1997. She’ll enter medical school
this fall after a year abroad on a
Watson Fellowship in India and
Kenya studying the work, successes,
and problems o f women scientists in
third world countries. She credits
“Beat the Odds” with showing her
that people cared about her and about
helping others.
“Beat the Odds” is a project initi
ated by CDF and the Black Commu
nity Crusade forChildren to focus on
the positive potential o f our young
people. Too often we hear about
young people getting into trouble,
dropping out o f school, becoming
involved with drugs, crime, or gangs,
or becoming parents too soon. Too
seldom we hear o f the many young
people who are “Beating the Odds”
despite the daunting conditions in
by
which so many o f them live and the
tremendous obstacles in the way of
even the smallest achievement.
“Beat the Odds” celebrations have
taken place in Los Angeles: Bridge
port and New Haven, Connecticut;
Atlanta; East St. Louis; Detroit; Min-
neapolis/St. Paul; Concord, New
Hampshire; Charlotte, North Caro
lina; Cincinnati; Memphis; Missouri
City, Texas; New York City; and
Washington D.C. We work with
local education advocates, schools,
and community leaders to select and
honor students who demonstrate aca
dem ic excellence and have the
strength and determination to “Beat
the Odds.” They are honored for
their personal achievements in their
struggles to improve their own lives
and the lives o f others. At a special
awards ceremony in their city, CDF
and BCCC celebrate the remarkable
lives o f these young people and their
families, friends, teachers, and coun
selors who helped them to succeed.
Each student is presented with a cash
scholarship and other gifts like a
computer and a shopping spree. We
hope that soon every city will begin
celebrating youths’ successes and will
provide them scholarships to go on
to college.
"Beat the Odds’ ’ celebrations strike
a chord with community leaders and
citizens who want to help children
who are struggling and making it.
We work with corporations that do
nate prizes for nominees and the
media which does feature pieces
about these youths. NBC4 in Wash
ington and Los Angeles have been
great supporters o f the program.
Because it has been so broadly em
braced by the communities involved,
“Beat the Odds” has fostered suc
cesses beyond those celebrated at the
events themselves by serving as a
catalyst for additional community
efforts on behalf o f these and other
children.
If you’d like to know more about
this program or would like to orga
nize an event in your community,
please contact Sharie Brown Wood
at CDF, 25 E Street NW, Washing
ton D.C. 20001, 202-662-3529.
Show young people like Daniel and
Rhondee that people do care and can
help them “Beat the Odds.”
Butter ‘Tasty Turkey Meal
Ideas” Recipe Contest
Runner-Up Winner
Be A Foster
Parent
Services to Cl
Family
Foster Home Recruitment
at
1-800-331-0503
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Kenneth Martis
Merrillville, IN
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1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
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2
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6-8 Butterball Fresh Turkey Cut
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Salsa
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1 10-ounce package frozen rasp
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