• Middle College has an 80% retention rate and an 82% graduation rate
• 30% of the students made the Honor Roll for the first time
• 60% of students improved in Reading and Math skills
• 70% attended classes regularly

Leslie Fisher

Middle College Graduate 2004

The following is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Esmeralda Doublette, Graduate Intern at CCYD, June 2005.

* Juvenile Research Center, Inc. (JRC) was the former name of the now Camden Center for Youth Development, Inc (CCYD). When JRC is mentioned in this interview, it refers to the organization’s former name.

ED. What is your name and how old are you?

LF. Leslie Fisher. I am 18.

ED. What was your former High School?

LF. I was in Haddon Heights High School.

ED. How did you become a student in the Middle College program?

LF. I got kicked out of school for bringing a weapon. I was home schooled for a year and they (the Board of Education at Haddon Heights) referred me to the Middle College program.

ED. What was going on in your life when you got in trouble?

LF. Nothing. I was bored. You get in trouble when you are bored.

ED. Did you have trouble adjusting to your new setting?

LF. No. I just stayed next to Ms. Thorton the whole time; she was my favorite teacher.

ED. Was it odd for you to be taking classes on a college campus?

LF. It was, but it was not confusing because we only stayed in two classrooms. But it was distracting because of all the college boys (laughs). I took college classes my last year (senior year). JRC* paid for them. So, I don’t have to take any basic core classes when I start college in August.

ED. Did you ever think about college prior to this experience?

LF. Yes, we took a trip to Morgan State my Junior year. I wanted to go to Morgan State after that. My mom could not get me to go to any other school. “I want to go to Morgan State; I want to go to Morgan State!”(Chant)

ED. How has the program helped you? What triggered a change in your attitude?

LF. We (students and teachers) were very close here. The teachers gave all of us one-on-one attention; there were not many students. We (students) knew what was going on, and when you know what is going on, there is no need to act out. I understood things better; the teachers were helping me. My grades improved. I was on the Honor Roll every marking period when I was here. But, before I came here, I was failing almost everything.

ED. Were you interested in school before you came to Middle College?

LF. I was always interested in school, but here, I learned to be less interested in what other people were doing, and more interested in me. The teachers told me: “You have to worry about you, because other people do not care about you”. Your friends are not going to be there for you when you are trying to graduate, but they will only help you get in trouble.

ED. How would you describe your relationship with your mentor/teacher?

LF. Mrs. Thorton was my teacher. All of my teachers were more like sisters. You could tell them anything, and they would not go back and tell your parents or other teachers. You can confide in them. Anytime you needed help, they would help you. They are the best kind of teachers.

ED. Could you give an example where your teacher or mentor helped you through a difficult situation?

LF. Ms. Thorton helped me get along with my Mom. When I would come and talk to her, she would show me that I was wrong but while showing me, she never put me down. Now, I have a better relationship with my Mom. My mentor was very approachable and easy to talk to.

ED. Where would you be if it were not for the program? It you were to imagine another scenario for yourself after being kicked out, what would it be?

LF. I would have quit school and maybe I'd be working at Mc Donald’s or something. When I was supposed to be home-schooled, I would not be. I would not let the teacher in the house or would tell her she does not have to come in today.

ED. Would you recommend the program to other students in similar situations?

LF. Yes, I recommended the program to my little brother. He is coming here next year.

ED. What are your future plans, Miss Fisher?

LF. Well, I am starting school in August (2005) at Morgan State University, Baltimore and I will major in architecture and minor in music. I want to build a big school for JRC in the suburbs!

ED. Do you have any final words of wisdom?

LF. My experience the first year at JRC was smooth. As long as you did your work and paid attention, then you had a lot of fun. But, if you did not listen to your teachers and did not do your work, then they got really strict with you. I would probably tell them (students): you have to work first, and then they will let you play.

As part of their educational experience, students go on many class trips. This year they have been to the:

• New Jersey State Aquarium
• Franklin Institute
• Philadelphia Zoo, America’s First Zoo
• Coriell Institute For Medical Research
• DALI Exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The program follows concepts developed and successfully used by our staff over the past 21 years in its work with area students. The staff is diverse and highly skilled.

Reliance on traditional education methods is limited; some of the lessons are “game-based”. Games are used to illustrate historical principles and encourage recollection of the material. Students are thus engaged in the lesson while having fun!

Our method increases confidence and self esteem in students who are often lacking the support they need outside of the classroom. Participants in the Middle College program may take up to three college-level classes, including: College success, Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education at the Camden County College campus.

The graduates show that Middle College is WORKING! Many boast successes that they did not dream as youngsters. Some are holding responsible jobs. Some are raising families. Some are attending Colleges and Universities. Others have stayed off the drugs or alcohol that contributed to their earlier problems.

Tutors, in the classroom and after school, assist Middle College teachers in providing the necessary academic support for the students. Students benefit from the additional support from the tutors, especially those who have academic difficulties. Tutors are needed for SAT preparation in Mathematics and English, and for supplemental classroom instruction for our underclassmen.

Mrs. Doris Thorton has a background in education. She was a Middle School Science Teacher for almost thirty (30) years. She worked at Temple University in the Upward Bound Program, tutoring students from the Hispanic communities in the various sciences. She later worked with students with drug problems or who were suicidal, and with drug-addicted parents.

Mrs. Thorton joined the staff of CCYD three (3) years ago, as a mentor in the Middle College program. She attributes her success with Middle College students to her ability to understand their point of view. Mrs. Thorton trusts her students, and that trust is reciprocated. She leads by example. Her students understand what is expected of them. On a daily basis, students share their problems with their mentor and she in turn helps them find a solution that is socially acceptable.

Academically, Mrs. Thorton inculcates in her students the importance of being a global citizen. She encourages them to look beyond their immediate environment, and cast an eye onto the world. She also strives to teach them how to deal with this world in a positive way. Many of our students have never left Camden. It is, therefore imperative to teach them about the world outside of what they know.

Mrs. Thorton serves as a mother figure, a confidant, and a friend to her students. She evaluates her students’ success on an individual basis, but all are considered successful when the following occurs: students mature over the year, are able to recognize the negatives in their lives, change them, and students start to aspire to more than what they presently have. Her words of wisdom are as follows: “I want my students to live a value-creating life, and become value-creating people in our society.”

Mentors helped define students’ experience in the Middle College Program. Students are able, with the necessary support from mentors and teachers, to focus all their attention in school and grow emotionally. Please help us transform the lives of young stars by making a contribution to the Middle College program.