Where did they go?

Where did they go?

They weren't in class... (images of old friends swirl in my head)

Where is the person that is suposed to be sitting next to you at graduation rehearsal; are they running late, did he or she get sick, what happened to them?

The answers vary...

Some will say it's Life Circumstances, others will say the Bullying was too much to handle, the classes were Boring or even more common, the statement "how does this stuff relate to my life and where am I gonna use this stuff?".

Students in both the United States and Canada are coming up misssing! It starts with missing one class and progressively gets worse when the missed class periods become days and so on.

A snap shot of this problem reveals that New York City has more dropouts than some cities have students (TIME Magazine May 2007).

Many cities face staggering statistics regarding their graduating students versus those that dropout. I have booked graduation speeches early in the school year with the expectation of addressing 300+ students and at the years end there is only 150 sitting before me.

Where did they go?

I did not  pass them in the hallway. I did not see them as I pulled up. I cannot say that I saw 150 kids hanging out on the corner.

Where did they go?

Many of these students are at home, in shelters, at the mall and on the streets just trying to get through the day. Many of them have been affected by something outside of school that made school less relevant, less of a priority. Some students leave because they are older than their peers (classmates).

I know first hand how innovative programs for older students to recover loss credits needed to graduate can change a negative situation back into a positive.

I work with a special young man right now that reached out to me 2 years ago as I passed through his school as a speaker and mentor trainer.

This young man reached out to me, challenging me to step up as his personal mentor just days after losing his father. His strength during the painful days before and after the funeral amazed me. But, the consistent family problems that he faced just seemed to dominate his life. Going to class became more and more of a chore and his level of focus while in class was not high enough to net results. Life problems really do effect these kids chances to succeed.

The solution came in the form of new girlfriend who attended school each day and encouraged my young 15 year old mentee to do the same. Furthermore, her parents saw this young mans need for structure and consistent support and did the unthinkable... They took him into their home and added him to their family.

Let me tell you, he has excelled in this new "positive" environment. He now attends school everyday. He has registered in a new credit recovery program developed by his school board. His success in the program has gained the attention of school board officials and this former problem student is now their new poster child. High school principals have even begun recruiting him from his alternative high school to attend their school next year.

Change in this young mans life began with the removal of the negative influences in his life and the new friends who opened new doors for hope to re-enter his life.

To read more about this topic, visit www.silentepidemic.org and take a real hard look at whats happening in our schools. If you have a friend that needs to be encouraged to stay in school, to attend each class so that they're sitting with you at graduation, log onto www.boostup.org and read stories of how other teens have gotten support and helped inspire their friends to stay in school.

If you're still wondering "Where did they go?", take a look at MTV's web feature "The Dropout Chronicles" at www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1558684&vid=147258

Oh yeah... If or when you find them, make sure to step up to the plate and do something to help them. Who knows, you may just be re-inspiring the next great leader, a future research doctor, another teacher or just a person that becomes productive in our society instead of destructive.

Until next time,

Johnnie Williams III