Pastors show they have faith in Parkland
0Y TODD LICK
THE CHRONIC I 1
Local pastors have made
inspiring students at Parkland
Magnet High School part of
their ministry
For the past eight >ears. the
Rev. Gwathney Leak of
Stokesdale Church of God
Outreach Center, has been pro
viding his time and resources
to students at the mostly
minority school Several years
ago. he recruited the Rev.
Ronald "Fisher of Dreamland
Park Baptist Church to help in
his educational crusade.
Parkland Assistant Principal
Alecia Harvey said the minis
ters have had a profound
impact on the students.
"We find that our young
people have a great deal of
respect... no matter what
socioeconomic background
they come fromv^or religious
leaders." said Harvey .
Harvey invited Leak to
help at Parkland erght years>
ago. He was already involved
in other schools, talking tosju
dents about the importance of
making good choicer. But at
Parkland, he tixik his involve
ment to a whole new level.
Leak has two student
groups. Men of.Distinction and
Daughters of Destiny, that he
takes on a wide variety of field
trips Some show students
where hard work and good
decisions will take them.
Others show them the conse
quences of going down the
wrong path. He's taken them to
dine at the; Piedmont Club,
show ing them the finer side of
life, and 'to homeless shelters,
showing them what tough
times look like. v.
"We're going to the prison
next, then after that we're
going to colleges." said Leak.
"And with that. 1 give you two
institutions, both of them got
vacancies, and you got to
choose w hich on<i you w ant to
go to." ?
Leak also brings in speak
ers to drive home the point. His
daughter. Attorney Monica
McKinnie spoke to over 400
students at the. school last
Friday on the importance of
Photo by Todd Luck
From left: Rev. Gwathney Leak, Rev. Ronald Fisher, LaRhonda Copeland, Principal Tim Lee. Assistant Principal
Alecia Harvey, and Joel Saahr stand in front of the school.
making good choices.
Speakers like Judge Denise
Hartsfield have also addressed
students Homeless people also
speak at the school . warning
kids of w here the wrong choic
es could lead them .
? Leak is very involved with
the students in his group. He
meets with them all at least
once a. week, making' sure they
stay out of trouble. He's found
tutors for students who needed
one. In the past, monetary
rewards were given to gradu
ates. and he's hoping to give
scholarships to several gradu
ating seniors this year.
The student groups are
made of both struggling stu
dents and those at the top of the
class. Fisher said he's seen
many improvements in self
confidence. maturity, behavior
and academic performance
from those in the program.
"1 love seeing youth come
in that was in trouble and
before the year is up. they are
honor roll students.,..they've
changed their whole attitude."
.said Fisher.
Three fourths of the stu
dents in the program go on to
college. Leak ehcourages them
to keep in touch, ff students let
him know which college
they're at. he'll send them a
care package. If students send
him their grades, they'll get a
SI 00 check.
Senior Joel Saahr said Men
of Distinction has given him
greater maturity. Both student
groups work w ith youth, tutor
ing students at Philo Middle
School and speaking to kids at
Petree Elementary School.
Saahr said the leadership expe
rience he's gotten has been
invaluable
"It's very hefpful. lit nice
I nil mm( *
to know I have a voice for
younger kids " said Saahr. who
plans to major in Mass
Communications at North
Carolina Central University.
"Kids even at Parkland that
want to be in our group... they
look up to us because they feel
that we hold ourselves differ
ent than most of them that
you'll see."
Senior LaRhonda
Copeland has been in
Daughters of Destiny for four
years. She said she enjoyed a
community service trip where
they helped feed the homeless
during the holidays. She said
the group has helped her
become a better person.
"I love everything about
the group. They're very nice to
us , they take care of us and we
do many things to help out the
community," said Copeland.
who plans to attend college to
becbme an anesthesiologist.
Leak said his Parkland
work has the full support of his
church, which is located in
Guilford County but does out
reach throughout the Triad. But
he's looking for more volun
teers and donations to help
keep it going. He's also hoping
to find other minsters to help.
Harvey said she always
welcomes any church , business
or community organizations
willing to make a difference in
the lives of Parkland students.
Those wishing to donate
can make checks out to "N.C.
Men of Distinction and
Daughters of Destiny " and
mail them to 9081 Highway
158. Stokesdale. N.C. 27357.
Stokesdale COG Family
Outreach Center can he con
tacted at 644-0090.
\gozi Opara
Miss A&T
shines
in Atlanta
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
,"i ? 7 ; i '
Ngozi Opara, Miss North
Carolina A&T State University,
got a chance to tell an intimate
part of her life story in an artis
tic way that wooed the crowd
and the judges at the 2009
2010 National Black College
Alumni Hall of Fame Pageant
held in Atlanta on Saturday,
Sept. 26.
"I was really excited and
proud of myself," Opara told
the A&T Register "All the
months of preparing and train
ing really paid off." Opara, 2 It
hails from Washington. DC.
She is a business and finance
major.
Her performance at the
annual pageant earned her the
first runner up place and a
$2,500 scholarship. She com
peted against 27 queens from
Black Colleges and
Universities throughout the
United States.
Opara rocked the house
with a prolific performance
during the oratory as she told a
gut wrenching story about her
Nigerian mother's struggle
?coming to America and how an
HBCU impacted her life. The
queens were judged in the fol
lowing categories: poise &
projection, oratory, talent and
interview.
The National Black College
Alumni Hall of Fame
Foundation hosts this annual
competition of HBCU queens
as a way to showcase young
African American women and
their causes.
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Twentieth Anniversary of the
Celebration of the Life of
GEORGE FISHER NEWELL
November 3, 1905-0ctober 11, 1989
We miss you but know that you are always with us as we remember
and recall your favorite sayings:
A Man's Reach Should Exceed His Grasp Or
What's A Heaven For?
Procrastination Is The Thief of Time.
Never Miss Work On A Monday.
I Am Not A Walking Encyclopedia ,
Nor A Picture of Information But
A Fountain of Inspiration.
We have passed these along to your grandchildren who have lis
tened and benefited from these lessons. You have loved, protected,
encouraged, inspired and motivated us in life and in death.
Your Memory Lives On In Your Legacy
Your Loving Wife
Virginia Kimbrough Newell
/ Your Children
Virginia Deeanne Banks Bright , M.D
Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D.
Your Grandchildren
Todd Paul Newell Payne
Matthew Phillip George Banks, Esq.
Mary Elizabeth Banks
Brittany Virginia Lucille Harris
Phillip Lewis Newell Harris
Mark Ransom Fisher Banks