- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/our-house/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad wants to be “a beacon of light” /news-archive/2018/05/09/kenneth-edwards/ Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:02 +0000 /news/?p=70474 ...]]> Kenneth Edwards’ path to college took many detours as he struggled to find out who he was and who he wanted to be. He’s done much soul searching over the past three years, and he’s found his answers. On May 12, Edwards of Little Rock will graduate cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sociology during the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s commencement at the Jack Stephens Center. He knows that his calling is a career working with youth, particularly those who are at-risk. He feels a connection to them because he was one of them for many years. Raised in Little Rock, Edwards spent much of his youth in and out of school and at times, homeless. “What I witnessed growing up was a lot of violence and drug,” he said. He found positive role models at (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids), a Little Rock program that works to keep at-risk youth in school and on track to graduate. Edwards violated terms of attendance, though, and was kicked out of the program. At 15, he also left home and eventually dropped out of Central High School. “I got detached from school and focused on making money,” said Edwards, who went to work as a car detailer. He stayed with various relatives for periods of times, often not knowing where he would sleep at night. One of his aunts eventually took him to Clarksville, Tennessee, to live with her, but Edwards didn’t adjust well to the transition. “She tried to keep me on target to graduate in 2009, but school wasn’t my main focus. I went from hustling to make ends meet to having everything at my fingertips. I was complacent. I wanted love and didn’t know how to receive it.” With three months left to graduate, Edwards was expelled from school. He was able to finish his diploma through a homeschool academy. He moved back to Little Rock in 2010, this time intent on making some changes. He completed a nine-month program at Little Rock’s Union Rescue Mission where he focused on sobriety, discipline, and faith. He also completed a three-month, pre-employment training program through Our House. “Every time I felt like giving up, I had someone to prop me up,” Edwards said. Knowing he needed an education, he enrolled in ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College and earned an Associate of Arts. With good grades, he received a transfer scholarship to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2015. He originally wanted to be a teacher, but his sociology courses resonated with him. He credits sociology professors Dr. David Briscoe, Dr. Neveen Shafeek Amin, and Dr. Kinko Ito for helping him find his passion. “They changed my life and my mindset, literally,” he said. “I found meaning in sociology. I was able to heal from my lost victories through a different perspective. I think I’m able to see and empathize because I was shown empathy.” In college, Edwards was part of of the TRiO program, which serves first-generation college students. “Kenneth has continued to deal with and overcome formidable challenges and obstacles,” said Dr. Ge Chen, director of TRiO programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “He was determined to complete his bachelor degree. He has been working two jobs throughout his college years to cover education expenses, and he also has volunteered at local programs helping at-risk youth. He is a role model for many young people with similar backgrounds and experiences.” Edwards has even been back to P.A.R.K – this time as a mentor for at-risk youth. Along the way, Edwards has also reconnected with his mother, Golden Edwards, who has returned to college after dropping out when she first had Edwards. She graduates May 11 from ��Vlog��ý-PTC and plans to continue her studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Edwards is now applying to graduate schools and hopes to earn a master’s degree in counseling education. Eventually, he wants to work with at-risk youth. “I want to be here for these kids,” he said. “I want to be a beacon of light for them. I know that if you don’t change the environment, you become a product of it. I spent my whole life trying not to be a statistic.”]]> Three sisters are keeping the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps in the family /news-archive/2017/06/01/three-sisters-chancellors-leadership-corps/ Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:02:59 +0000 /news/?p=67272 ...]]> Chancellor’s Leadership Corps at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock a family affair. Virginia Lee, 25, of Maumelle, and her younger sisters, Anna-Bel, 22, and Grace Chambers, 19, of Sherwood, are the only set of three sisters to participate in the scholarship program since it began in 1976. “We’ve had plenty of siblings, but this is the first time we had a set of three all go through the program,” said Amber Wolf, program coordinator. Every year, approximately 225 first-time freshmen are admitted to the program, which is designed for high school leaders active in extracurricular activities and their community. CLC Scholars receive a financial package totaling up to $32,000 through a four-year renewable scholarship. Participants complete at least 15 hours of community service every semester. In 2010, the Chambers family history with the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps began when the oldest sister, Virginia, was considering going to college. “I was looking for scholarships, and one of my childhood friends told me about the CLC,” Virginia said. “When my mom found out this program was based heavily on volunteer work, she helped me apply. I had done a lot of volunteer work through high school, including a reading program and .” Before enrolling at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Virginia and her sisters were home-schooled, which made her nervous about attending college. However, CLC scholars attend orientation programs on campus the week before classes start, which helped Virginia adjust. “I can’t imagine going through college without the CLC,” Virginia said. “The CLC provided me with friends and a good support system. It helped me with the anxiety of starting college and provided me with a sense of community.” In 2013, when Virginia was a senior, the second sister, Anna-Bel, followed in her sister’s footsteps. Throughout her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Anna-Bel found a love of volunteering with children. “I volunteered with ‘Our Kids Read,’ a reading program at Bale Elementary,” she said. “I also did a lot of volunteering at , the homeless shelter, in their day care.” For the past three years, Anna-Bel volunteered in Nicaragua, where family friends serve as missionaries at a preschool with an after-school program. “The school is in a very poor part of the city, and they serve 300 kids every day,” Anna-Bel said. “It’s a crazy atmosphere but a lot of fun. The kids don’t care if you know how to speak their language. They just want you to push them on the slide, blow some bubbles, and be shown some love.” Anna-Bel’s passion for working with children led to her future career choice and a major in social work. Oldest sister Virginia proudly graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and a minor in sign language studies. She next earned a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and now works as a speech pathologist for . By 2016, it was a foregone conclusion that Grace, the baby of the family, would also participate in the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. “I had to finish off the family tradition,” she said. “I had seen all the benefits and the community aspect of the program. That is what I have grown to love. I know somebody in all my classes, and it is a very comforting thing to know you have a familiar face. It was a blessing for me since I had so much information from my sisters. In her freshman year, Grace volunteered in Race for the Cure and Miracle League, a special baseball league for kids with disabilities. “I worked with a little girl that was 3 or 4 and was in a wheelchair,” Grace said. “She was just so excited to be out and part of the team. I love working with kids.” Grace completed her freshman year with a 4.0 GPA. Though she has not selected a major, she is considering a future career in the dental field and will spend the summer working as a nanny. As for her older sister, Anna-Bel graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in May with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She is planning to spend the next year working as a nanny before beginning the master’s program in social work at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2018. All three of the sisters are thankful to the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps for providing them with a pathway to afford college. Their father, who is a 1994 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, is proud that all three of his daughters went to his alma mater and went through the CLC program together. “My parents are in the process of starting a cleaning business,” Grace said. “Now that I have graduated high school, my parents want to build their own business. Our parents sacrificed a lot for us.” In the upper right photo, three sisters are getting an education through the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. Pictured, from left to right, are Virginia Lee, Anna-Bel Chambers, and Grace Chambers. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.]]>