Congratulations to Kora, the 2023 Communities In Schools of North Texas Secondary Student of the Year!
Kora is an 8th grade student at Bridgeport Middle School who was referred to CIS at the beginning of 7th grade by the school nurse. Kora was new to Bridgeport and was frequenting the nurse’s office due to her feelings of anxiousness of being in the classroom. Kora oftentimes left school, and her excessive absences were also affecting her grades. Ms. Jamey Carpenter, the CIS Site Coordinator at Bridgeport MS, met with Kora and decided to add her to a CIS lunch group with some other 8th grade girls. She also connected her with a CISNT AmeriCorps Member to provide additional weekly support. However, it quickly became evident that Kora had significant needs in both her personal life and at school.
Kora was an active participant in lunch groups and CIS activities. While Kora often utilized the CIS room as her safe place, she was still coming in upset regularly and continued to struggle to adjust to her surroundings. She also began skipping classes more frequently, even hiding in the bathrooms at times.
Ms. Carpenter referred Kora to the CIS staff member, Ms. Lott, for some additional support in learning positive ways to manage conflict and stress. With the support of both Ms. Carpenter and Ms. Lott, Kora showed improvement and would get upset in class less frequently. During the next school year, she was already exhibiting signs of personal growth. During her initial meeting with Ms. Carpenter for the year, Kora advocated for herself and expressed that she would like to meet with Ms. Lott again this year. Kora consistently visits Ms. Carpenter on a regular basis to check in and let her know how things are going.
Kora has shown tremendous resilience and has been able to utilize skills learned from CIS to navigate challenging situations. She has not had a single discipline referral this year, and her grades and attendance have improved significantly. Kora’s attitude and outlook on life seem so much brighter, and even her teachers have commented on how different she is this year.
Ms. Carpenter shares, “I couldn’t be prouder of Kora and her personal growth over the past 2 years. I feel honored that CIS was able to be a part of her journey and offer her the support and direction she needed to get started. The future is bright for this young lady!”
Congratulations, Kora! CISNT is so proud to recognize you as the 2023 CISNT Secondary Student of the Year!
Watch her video here. Thank you, Mixed Media Creations!
