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Meet two alumni
Here are two stories of young people who started with us many years ago.
Tramane Montel Ford got his first taste of acting in 1995 when he became part of the video group at Cabrini Connections. On August 7th he performed his new show, The Tramaine Experience: A One Man Show, and raised money so we can help other kids have similar experiences.
Isaiah Brooms was a Keynote Speaker at the November 2009 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference, where he told how his life has taken a positive direction because of the support he received from his mentor, and the tutoring/programs he was part of. Here's the full transcript of his presentation.
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Former Mentor tells story via Tribune blog
On the News page of the Tutor/Mentor Connection site we pick up feeds from local and national media. I clicked into this story today, and found it was one of our former volunteers, Candice Warltier writing about her experiences.
How many other volunteers and students are telling this story? Connect with us on Facebook, or Linked in, or on this blog so more people can read these.
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Words of Wisdom From A Cabrini Connections' Alum
 The Cabrini Connections' program is a tutoring/mentoring program that provides resources for 7-12th grade youth living in and around the Cabrini Green Housing community, in an effort that the student who join and stay committed to the program are in a career by the age of 25...If anybody visited the program on any Wednesday or Thursday tutoring night, they would see everyone who is present working on that exact goal listed above. All of the students in the program are different, they have different goals, dreams, and aspirations...therefore what a person would see is each pair working on different work, but everybody as a whole working towards career goals. And during last Wednesday's tutoring session we had the opportunity to hear from one of the program's most recent alumni talk about all that she is doing now as a freshman at SIU Edwardsville, how she is working towards her goals, and how the Cabrini Connections' program and her mentor within the program played and continues to play a part in her life. Eboni Rivera joined the program when she was in the 7th grade and remained dedicated and committed to the program and graduated from Kenwood Academy and become a Cabrini Connections' alumni in 2009. Eboni stated, "When I was in the 7th grade I didn't want to join the program and come here every Wednesday. I'd rather sit in my room and do my work on my own." But then she asked the students if they ever was doing work on their own and when it got too hard or if they had a questions if they said, "man I wish I had somebody here to help me figure this work out. That is what your mentor is here for, to help you figure your work out." Eboni went on to share her experiences in the program and how although she went through several mentors during her tenure in the program, they all worked hard to reach her and get through to her so that she could take advantage of all the potential she possesses. .jpg) In the 9th grade Eboni was then paired with her 'current' mentor and what should be her lifelong tutor/mentor and who she says is her 'bestfriend" Susan Nice. Eboni said that when she first walked into the program last Wednesday the first thing she did was give Susan a hug and say "I miss you!" Eboni went on to express how their relationship is much more than a tutor/mentor relationship; Eboni said, "We get along great, we have the same birthday, and we have a bond." This is a great example of how the tutoring/mentoring that takes place inside of Cabrini Connections is the start of many many years of tutoring/mentoring outside of the program as well. Just because a student graduates fro .jpg) m high school and the program doesn't mean they no longer are in need of the services of the program and maybe more importantly, their mentor.
Ms. Rivera went on to discuss some of her college life and how she manages her time as a freshman at SIU. She concluded her speech by providing some words of wisdom for the volunteers and the students. Eboni encouraged all the volunteers to never give up on their student and to continue to "try and work harder" because it may take some time to reach the student that they are working with. She told the students, "get to know your mentor and take advantage of all that the program has to offer, because the program so much. And the resources can and will help you when it comes to getting into college, getting a job, and for your future career."
The entire Cabrini Connections' family would like to thank alumni Eboni Rivera for stopping by and sharing her story with the program, and we want to with her the best in her future endeavours!!! Eboni will also be speaking at the Annual Year End Dinner taking place on June 10th (check website at a later date for more details). We are looking to create more success stories like Ms. Riveras' but it takes resources to create these stories. If you would like to be a part of creating more stories like this please visit the website and become a supporter, a volunteer, and/or a donor. 
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On the College Front at Cabrini Connections
 I just wanted to provide a sneak peak at the future College/University destination of the Cabrini Connections' seniors this year. Currently, the Cabrini Connections' program has 10 seniors in the Class of 201 0 who are all looking to continue their education at the next level.
Megan Caradine: who is a senior at Alraby High School will be attending Allen University in South Carolina.
Diamond Clark-McQueen (friend and classmate of Megan): is undecided at this point but has been accepted and is considering joining Megan at Allen University.
Brittany Delaney: (friend and classmate of both Megan and Diamond: will be attending Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL.
DeSean Hale: who is a senior at Wells High School has been accepted to DePaul University and Northern Illinois University, and still waiting to hear from Arkansas, Miami (Oxford), and a few others.
Alexis Montgomery: who is a senior at Northtown Academy will be attending Wright Co  llege in the fall. Vontesha Stanfield: who is a senior at Lakeview High School has been accepted to NIU, SIU, WIU, Northeastern IL. U., UIC, Indiana State, Central State (Ohio), and still waiting to hear from Spelman in Atlanta, GA. and EIU!!! Dijana Smith: who is a senior at Lincoln Park High School is still waiting to hear from Jackson State.
And seniors Raheem Muhammad (Lincoln Park High School), Gregory Hatchett (Rauner College Prep), and Lawrence Brown (Von Steuben High School) are still undecided at this point but all make efforts to be in their college of choice in the fall.
The Cabrini Connections' staff would like to thank all of their mentors, the College Zone Coordinators, and thank all of those donors and Cabrini Connections' supports who provide the resources needed to make stories like this happen in our program. Thank you all of all that you do, and we hope that you will continue to give your time, knowlege, and support.
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2009 Cabrini Connections' Graduating Class
As we head into one of the best events that Cabrini Connections has to offer, the Annual Year End Dinner which will be taking place this year on June 4th, we go into the event with mixed emotions. This is truly a festive event that brings students, parents, staff, board members, volunteers, and guest all together to celebrate the end of another successful tutoring/mentoring year. But what makes this a event with mixed emotions is that we will be saying good bye to the 2009 Cabrini Connections' graduating class!
This year we have 5 seniors who will be, lets say, not leaving the Cabrini Connections' program but joining a growing list of alumni! I've been the Administrative Coordinator of the program for a little over a year, but I can truly say that I have been a witness of the growth and the leadership qualities that these 5 seniors have!
 Dominique Dobbs, senior at Lincoln Park High School, rejoined the program this year after taking some time off and has done an amazing job since returning. Dominique is very interested in studying psychology, but at this point is undecided on which college or university she will be attending in the fall.
LaFaye Garth, senior at Sullivan High School, has truly been a standout in the program. For anybody who has interacted with this young lady, you understand how dedicated, committed, and driven she is. LaFaye has been in the program since September of 2004 and progressed in the program very well! Ms. Garth was the recipient of the Posse Scholarship and will be receiving over $30,000 a year to attend California's Pomona College beginning in the fall. LaFaye has also received the Gates Foundation Scholarship that will pay for all of her graduate school expenses as she pursues a career in the nursing field. LaFaye also was on a recent episode of the Oprah Winfrey show.
Angelene Hemphill, senior at Wells High School, has also been doing a fantastic job inside and outside of the program. Angelene continues to strive for excellence inside of the program, but she also assists younger students by being a mentor herself outside of the program. Angelene also balances work as well! Angelene has hopes of attending either Harold Washington, Malcolm X, or Chicago State in the fall.
Eboni Rivera, senior at Kenwood High School, has been in the program since September of 2002 and has been a standout since that first day. Eboni is currently in the Cabrini Connections' Youth Leadership Council, on her school's softball team, and will be attending SIU in the fall! Eboni demonstrates her leadership in the program by assisting with the announcements on tutoring nights and by participating in various projects that the program has to offer. One of the opportunities that Eboni took advantage of and it paid off was the Halloween Essay contest that we provided last fall, and earned a free trip the Navy Pier's Haunted House on Halloween night. Charles Thomas, senior at CICS Northtown Academy, and although he has a quiet and reserved demeanor, Charles has already begun his career path! Charles is undecided on which college or university he will be attending in the fall, but he does want to study Business once he makes his decision. Charles' goal is to one day be the owner of his own nightclub or a banquet hall. Charles is currently pursuing his dreams by working as a club promoter throughout the Chicagoland area. Charles is getting some hands on experience at an early age that can and will benefit him as he continues on his career path. Charles hopes to use the knowledge he is gaining now, along with getting a degree in business, to one day become a successful club owner!
The entire Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection staff would like to congratulate these 5 seniors for their hard work, decidation, and committment to excellence as they move on to the next phrase in their life. We hope they will continue to be advocates of the program, and encourage fellow Cabrini Connections' alums to do the same. And as we continue to work towards getting more and more students into the program and on track to graduate and become Cabrini Connections' alumni, we need more and more support and resources to make this happen. Please take a moment to think about the value and importance of a great education and tutoring and mentoring and consider donating to Cabrini Connections.
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Cabrini Connections Alum stars in academics and football
Cabrini Connections received this email and photo today from one of our former volunteers:
I thought you would be interested to see Willie Hatcher in his college football debut. He is a Freshman at St.Francis College in Ft Wayne In. He red shirted his freshman season and is now looking to get some playing time in his sophomore year. More importantly his is determined to get at least a 3.2 gpa for the second semester. All this would not be possible without your program to provide a place to meet each week and an environment to focus on academics. Thanks a lot. Colin
Click here to see the photos that Colin sent.
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Graduation Awards for Cabrini Connections Seniors
One of the many great resources that Cabrini Connections’ provides the students that participate in the program is an ability to earn points and graduation dollars for every student who enters AND completes the program.
The amount a student earns is based on an accumulation of the points that the students earn while participating in the program. Students earn points for attendance, special projects, completed Weekly Reflection sheets, submitting report cards etc…
As seniors, the points students earn are converted to dollars which are awarded at the Annual Year End Dinner. At this time the conversion rate is ten cents per point. That can grow if we can find donors who will sponsor the Point Bank with an endowment.
Currently we have 5 seniors whom we expect to graduate in June. If these seniors can continue to actively participate in the weekly Wednesday or Thursday tutor/mentor sessions during the 3rd quarter (April through May 2009) they will receive their respective graduation awards at the Year End Dinner on June 4th.
Students who have been part of Cabrini Connections since 7th grade, have earned quite a few points, so the pay out at graduation can be $500 or more. We're exploring ways to deposit this money directly in a bank account, and to have the bank add additional dollars. We'll have more details on this later.
If you have questions about the Graduation Awards and/or Point Bank, contact El Da'Sheon Nix. If you'd like to make a donation to support Cabrini Connections, use this form.
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Kind Words from a former Cabrini Connections' Volunteer
Below is a comment posted on Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection President/CEO, Mr. Bassill's Facebook page by a former volunteer who was involved with tutoring in around 1990-1991. These are the types of endorsements that Mr. Bassill and the entire staff hope many are feeling.
"Dan: The years that I spent tutoring with your Cabrini Green program are among my most rewarding memories of the time when I first came of age in this city. I'll never forget how many dozens of newly graduated HBCU alumni made the trek over to the building every Monday and Tuesday night (and beyond) to tutor those kids, in every conceivable subject. It alwaysfloored me that many of those young black professionals came from as faraway as Naperville (Ill.). Glad to know the program is still in good hands,and thank you for reaching out."
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Cabrini Connections' Alum Shares...
It's always good to hear from Cabrini Connections' alums and it's even sweeter to hear that they are not only doing well, but also how the program helped them. Thank you Maggie for staying connected to the Cabrini Connections' program. We wish you the best of luck as you continue to have success for you and your family! My name is Maggie Smith and I'm 21 years old. My time at Cabrini Connections was memorable. I enjoyed making friends, having help from my tutor and all the extra activities that Cabrini Connections had to offer. Around the holidays, they really helped for the children in need. Currently I live in Woodstock, IL with 2 children. I graduated from Lincoln Park High School with had participated in JROTC & Band. In JuniorHigh I was on the Track & Field Team, Softball, Cheerleading, Dancing, etc. As for furthering my education I have more than one major that I am interested as in pursuing: Business Administration, Criminal Justice and my favorite Law. I attend Northwestern Business College for a year in 2005 and did wonderful. I still talk about what happiness Cabrini Connections has brought to me in my younger years. I hope that I can enroll my children in tutoring activities as good as Cabrini Connections.
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Cabrini Connections Alum next J K Rowlings?
I received an email this week from M A Smith inviting me to review a list of books which she had written.
M A Smith, is the pen name chosen by a former Cabrini Connections student named Mykicha Smith, who graduated from high school in 1999 after several years with Cabrini Connections. I asked Mykicha to tell us what she's been up to, so here's her story:
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My name is Mykicha Smith, but since I moved out west, I also go by the name of "Mikki." This "nickname" was whimsically created based on a combination of my childhood nickname Nikki (my mother calls me this as a tribute to one of her childhood's favorite poet (Nikki Giovanni) and of course mixed with the combination of my first name... thus creating MIKKI.
I was born and bread in Chicago, Illinois. I love the city... just a bit cold, so I now live in Phoenix (it's not so cold here!)
As my nickname portrays me the best, I love to write. It has been writing that has allowed me to see the world through nonjudgmental, open arms, and have a free-standing point of view. Immensely so, it has been the intrigue of words and learning something new that motivate me to be on a continuous journey of learning, exploring life's natural and creative beauty and now, teaching!
My personal and professional motto reads as followed: "you can change the
world with one word at a time." I truly believe in this statement.
I graduated from Providence-St. Mel High School, where I was involved in many vital extracurricular activities and programs such as Cabrini Connections, where I was a tutee in the tutoring/mentoring program and was in three Cabrini Connection chapbooks.
I obtained my BA in English from Northeastern Illinois University. Currently, besides being a professional acquirer of knowledge and writer, I am a teacher-in-training pursuing my Masters in Elementary Education so that I have the essential credentials to carry out my: "learning through literacy and the creative arts" mission.
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With enough support, from volunteers, and donors, we can help many young people soar to new heights! You can review M A Smith's book list at http://stores.lulu.com/masmith
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Using Blogs to Tell the Story
If you are reading this, then I hope you also have taken a moment to read the blogs listed on the right side of this page. For instance, Nicole's Blog has a great article today about how a woman in LA overcame gangs and poverty to create a great life for herself.
I've a collection of blog links in the Tutor/Mentor Connection web site. They offer many insights on poverty, education and uses of technology for learning. I collect these because they inspire my thinking and my actions. I hope you'll read them from time to time and let the ideas stimulate your own actions.
I also hope you'll look for ways to write or contribute to a blog, so you can tell your own story. I've heard many volunteer say "I've gotten more from being a volunteer than the student did." So, write about this. Share this with others. You'll inspire other people to get involved.
We'll hold our annual year in dinner in June, and my hope is that our current students will make an effort to locate our former students (more than 400!) so that we can begin to tell the stories of former students and volunteers.
What are they doing? Are they still connected to a volunteer or mentee? What do they remember from their days in Cabrini Connections, or the Cabrini-Green Tutoring Program at Montgomery Ward? Are they already writing a blog and we just don't know about it?
There are hundreds of tutor/mentor stories taking place every day. They can be inspiring to our current students and volunteers, and to other people thinking about starting tutor/mentor programs.
I hope you'll help us find and tell these stories.
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Thank you to Mentors
January is National Mentoring Month, and a time to thank all of the people who have been mentors to help others in the life journey.
At Cabrini Connections we have nearly 100 volunteers and each deserves thanks for the time they volunteer as tutors/mentors, leaders, fund raisers, board members. It takes this entire team to make a this program work, not just those on the front lines as one-on-one volunteers.
However, as you reflect on National Mentoring Month, I encourage you to read the mentoring stories on the MENTOR web site. Think about all of the people who have mentored you. Our volunteers have been mentored. Our alumni were mentored, and many continue to be mentored by the adults they met when they were young, and by others who they meet now.
Visit the Alumni Update links and you can read stories of former Cabrini Connections students. We'd like to build a list of stories, like on the MENTOR.org web site and can do that if student and alumni will take a moment to submit and article.
I spend several hours every day mentoring people who are trying to build programs similar to Cabrini Connections, as well as the business and professional and university leaders who could do more to support the growth of mentoring, as a career development process, if they were more strategic in the way they use their time, talent and organizational resources.
And, I'm mentored by many people, in Chicago and from around the world, who provide information, ideas, support and friendship.
Thus, we alll have someone to thank as we reflect on what National Mentoring Month means. A writing activity for this week's tutor/mentor sessions at Cabrini Connections might be working with your student to develop a joint essay to thank all of the people who have been mentors to each of you. You can post stories about your mentor on the National Mentoring web site, and you can submit them for this blog.
Happy Mentoring Month to all of you.
Dan Bassill
President
Cabrini Connections
Tutor/Mentor Connection
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New Video on Google: The Potion
One of the more creative videos produced by our Innervision Youth Productions program was titled The Potion. It's star was Tramaine Montel Ford, who since then has graduated from Syracruse University (2006) and began an acting career in New York City. In spring 2007 he had a dancing role in the Hairspray Movie. On h is blog he shows that he got acting start with the Cabrini Connections video project.
We've never had funds for consistent year-to-year staffing of the video program, so much of the work has been organized by volunteers. Jimmy Biggs, a former student, was a driving force in IYP and was taking over as leader in 2000, when he died suddendly from Diabetes. View Jimmy's video "The Real Cabrini" and others at http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=cabrini+connections
Rebecca Parrish has been leading IYP for the past year, as a volunteer. We thank her for creating a digital archive of the past videos and putting them on the Internet.
Since we're in the movie business, we need a producer, who would provide $25,000 to $40,000 per year for a part time or full time leader of the video/arts/technology programs at Cabrini Connections. Because of YouTube and Google Videos, the work that kids and volunteers do can now be distributed throughout the world. This gives much more visibility to a sponsor/financier.
If you know of someone who'd make a multi year commitment to this role, please show them the videos and introduce them to us.
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Message from 2001 graduate of Cabrini Connections
At a recent event Ana Llorens met one of our alumni in a chance encounter. Ana asked her to email us with an introduction and update on her life since Cabrini Connections. Here it is:
Well lets strat off by saying that my name is Akhia L. Plamer and my mentor/friend's name is Karla Van Fleet (used to be Gruenwald). Karla his been a part of my life for over 15 years. This woman has held me through so many satuations in my life and shared smiles, laughter, and tears with me. I am blessed to have a woman like Karla in my life.
As for myself I am an only child. Growing up in Cabrini Green it was just me and my mother. She was a determined parent to make sure that her child didn't get caught into the streets. After graduating from St. Joseph(on Orleans Street in Chicago) I continued my education at St. Scholastica Academy. I graduated two and a half years ago from Northern Illinois Unv. with a BS in Early Childhood Education and I'm planning to persue a teacher certification and maybe a masters in eduaction.
However, I am currently working at St. Vincent DePaul Center as a Pre-K assitant teacher.
It's great to hear from alumni and this shows the long-term bonds that are formed from the matches of volunteers and youth first made at Cabrini Connections or the Cabrini-Green Tutoring Program (which serves 2nd to 6th grade kids prior to coming to Cabrini Connections).
We'd like to here from more of you (including our alumni volunteers). Submit your stories using the form on this web site.
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Cabrini Connections Videos on-line
Since 1996 teens and volunteers from Cabrini Connections have been creating short videos as part of an annual learning and skill development activity. Many of these videos can now be viewed on line at http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=cabrini+connections
These videos include many testimonials about how Cabrini Connections is important to these teens. If you are watching them and want to volunteer to help current teens create similar videos, or are willing to be a sponsor to help provide the money needed to pay for space, equipment and staff, email tutormentor2@earthlink.net and introduce yourself.
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