With the drop out rate for the Dallas Independent School District at fifty percent programs like Dallas Elevators are seeking opportunities to shake this statistic. The program created by Coca-Cola starts by selecting talented students in the Boys and Girls Club and then pairs them with a community leader that works in their field of interest.
“You see a lot of excitement,” said NHL Dallas Star Mike Modano. “You see incentive. You see people who are eager to learn and do what it takes to be successful. You see a lot of drive and commitment from these kids and that’s all you can ask for.”
Students are allowed to job shadow their role model and learn what it takes to be successful on the job.
“I got to meet Chuck Cooperstein,” said Dallas Elevators participant Uriel Carrasco. “He’s a play-by-play announcer for the Dallas Mavericks. I got to see a lot of what he does.”
“I think the younger the kids are the better,” said Mix 102.9 radio DJ Victoria Snee. “Kids need to step out of the classroom sometimes and see what’s going on in the world.”
Students expressed that the Dallas Elevators program has helped them to excel beyond their normal routine.
“I wasn’t doing anything productive but I wasn’t doing anything bad either,” said Dallas Elevators participant Marquinta Miller. “I was just at home watching TV or at the movies all the time.”
Now Miller says she wants to become a pharmacist and has big plans to give back.
“There’s so many people who can’t afford medicine and I want to have my own pharmacy center,” said Miller. “I want it to be a low budget pharmacy.”
At a ceremony in downtown Dallas in Reunion Tower Coca-Cola presented five paid internships to Dallas Elevator participants with a special presentation of a $5,000 scholarship awarded to one deserving young lady.
“I’m so excited because I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said $5,000 scholarship recipient Bianca Williams. “I was surprised at the amount that they gave me. It will help my college a whole lot!”
Williams has big plans for her future.
“I’m going to Howard University in Washington D.C., “said Williams.
She credits the Dallas Elevators program for helping her develop the tools needed to reach her potential.
“They gave me the skills to want to succeed like leadership,” said Williams. “It makes you feel you want to use those skills to your advantage to get the things in life that you know you can do.”
“The whole program is about elevating people,” said artist and designer Brad Oldham.
Dallas Elevators is looking to expand by challenging more leaders to get involved.
“I urge any business leader out there to really open up their place of employment to these kids because you will get so much out of it yourself,” said Snee. “You’ll see their enthusiasm and excitement for what you do and it kind of reinvigorates you.”
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July 31st, 2009 at 7:18 am
Great work, Candice! You did a fantastic story about a wonderful cause.
July 31st, 2009 at 7:27 am
Great story Candi! Keep up the great work!
August 4th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Great program and thank you for sharing such an awesome story of kids being elevated. Glad to see how Coca-Cola is committed to our community.