PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 20, 2020) – Just about every aspect of education has changed during the ongoing pandemic, but the basic needs stay the same: grade-school kids need school supplies. These days, many families need extra help making sure their children have what they need to be successful in school. Students at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) reached out to children at Hempstead Elementary School to provide the essential materials. They made a true impact on the local community.
PVAMU’s Enrollment Management K-12 Partnerships and Outreach department, along with the Student Partnerships and Outreach Team (SPOT), brought school supplies to fourth-grade boys and girls at Hempstead Elementary, and the children met them with enthusiastic smiles and gratitude. “The kids were ecstatic to receive the supplies,” said Hempstead fourth-grade teacher Shelly Hazel. “They all left with smiles on their faces and were so excited about having crayons, scissors, and glue of their own.”
PVAMU senior mechanical engineering major and SPOT president Dacory Harris was excited and proud to be able to support the Hempstead Elementary students. “The class was very excited to see and use their supplies. It inspires me to continue to motivate and support more students in surrounding areas,” Harris said.
Since his first year at PVAMU, Harris has been involved with the organization, moving up through the ranks from general member, to fundraising chair, vice president, and now president. “The best thing about SPOT is the bond we share as THE SPOT FAMILY. We all work together to get more students to further their education and maybe one day become a PVAMU Panther,” said Harris.
SPOT vice president Kayla Ford also enjoyed seeing the children’s reactions. “I was very happy to see the pictures of the kids after they got the supplies. It was so fulfilling knowing that they would have supplies to help them finish their year during these tough times,” she said. The senior kinesiology major and psychology minor says she enjoys helping students look into their futures by introducing them to PVAMU early on. “I love meeting the students and seeing them prosper as well as giving back to the community,” Ford said.
As the founder and adviser of SPOT, Talitha Lewis, Ed.D., oversees the students’ philanthropic work to assist with PVAMU’s recruitment and outreach. By connecting with children in the community, the organization hopes to encourage them to attend PVAMU one day. “Our mission is to introduce students from our K-12 community to college life and the university’s award-winning programs,” said Lewis.
The SPOT organization began in 2016 with eight students, and now the membership has grown to 60 students. Members engage and interact with the K-12 community through hands-on programs and family-friendly events throughout the year. They also take the time to return to their local high schools to share their personal stories about the journey that led them to PVAMU. To assist the community, SPOT relies on fundraising. The group gets creative and raises money through events like “Trap n Taco,” bake sales, Valentine’s Day candy grams, and raffles.
After receiving the donation, Ms. Hazel sent photos of the fourth graders wearing masks and holding their new supplies to the SPOT volunteers. “You can’t see their smiles, but believe me, they are there!” she said. “It made them all so happy, which in turn made me so happy! Thank you for that!”
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By Angie Frederickson