*Names of clients and volunteers changed for privacy and protection
Adjusting to a new school while facing tough family dynamics, Damien was struggling. Damien and his family had just moved from Mississippi and there was a lot of dysfunction at home. That is when Mirna, the CISNT Site Coordinator at Lewisville Harmon High School, first met him. Mirna says, “Damien kept to himself. He seemed angry at the world. He was in a dark mood all of the time, temperamental and angry, not very trusting, and didn’t have many friends.” Damien was really struggling with the transition after his family’s move and was identified as being at-risk of dropping out of school. Damien was referred to the CISNT Site Coordinator, who began checking in with him weekly and offering herself as a person who was there for him if he needed to talk. Over time, she and Damien began to build a connection and he began to open up.
Through the CIS model, Mirna has access to resources, community volunteers, and direct wraparound services that can change the trajectory of students- establishing them on a path towards graduation and future success. Mirna matched Damien with a CISNT mentor to build up his community of support. Damien and his mentor, Buddy, were a perfect match from the start. Mirna jokes, “they both love sports and are both pretty loud…they are just gentle giants when they are together.” Mirna also placed Damien in a young men’s small group to help him work on his anger, and to exposed him to future educational possibilities through college field trips.
Mirna has been a consistent positive support for Damien for two years and his positive progress is evident! Mirna says, “he comes to school every day, positive and always smiling.” Damien focuses on taking care of himself and knows that it will set him on a path for a stronger, brighter future. He set personal goals to finish high school and go to college. CISNT ensures every child has a strong relationship with a caring adult. For Damien, this brought on a total transformation from a student who was angry and had little hope for the future, to a student who is resilient and excited for the opportunities to come. If you would love to be part of the transformation of a student like Damien, then get involved with CISNT today!
