Hensley is a 3rd grader at East Elementary School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. She has been a Communities In Schools Mid-America Student since her Kindergarten year. Hensley’s favorite school subject is reading, and she loves attending music class. She has the aspiration of becoming a teacher when she grows up. Outside school, Hensley loves to ride her scooter, play on her trampoline, dance at Powwows, and draw. She enjoys learning more about her culture through lessons and crafts.

Hensley’s school’s principal admires her pleasant disposition and happy smile. Her teacher praises her for her willingness to help others and her extra efforts in class. Leah, Hensley’s mom, says, “Hensley has developed better study skills, improved in her reading and math, gained more confidence, and improved her social skills. [Her SSC Theresa] has also piqued her interest in learning more about her Native American Heritage. All I can say is you’ve had a very positive impact on Hensley, and we are very thankful for that.” Hensley is a proud member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and is discovering her culture and traditions. Her Student Support Coordinator, Theresa Plata, says, “I have had the pleasure of watching her grow into herself and have more self-confidence. She has a quiet, reserved side but make no mistake, this little girl is a powerhouse and represents herself, her school, family, and tribe with pride.”

Trinity is entering her 4th year with Communities In Schools Mid-America at FSH. Over her four years, Trinity has grown exponentially. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially fishing and painting outdoor nature landscapes of flowers. She is looking forward to using her passion for the outdoors and animals as a career as a veterinarian.

Trinity says, “My favorite part of CIS is the inclusiveness of the program. Students are shown they matter and have a voice in the CIS program. My Student Support Coordinator Mr. Dunkeson, aka “Dunk,” is awesome! If I’m having a bad day or just need help with my work, he’s always there to lend a hand.”

Communities In Schools of Mid-America has been a part of Cambria and her older siblings/family for several school years. So, when she started school, relationship-building had already begun within the family. Cambria shares genuine smiles every day and naturally enjoys helping others. It is no surprise that she wants to be a Doctor when she grows up. She says she wants to take care of people. When she is not busy dreaming of being a doctor, she enjoys art, all things pink, and shopping!

Her 3rd-grade teacher expresses that Cambria is a joy to have in class. She goes on to say she is a caring student and friend. Her favorite story about Cambria is: “At the beginning of the year, a girl new to our school was in our class. She was struggling to make friends and was overwhelmed by the size of our school. I asked Cambria if she would take the girl under her wings and help her settle into her new school. Cambria was happy to do so, and the two became quick friends. The struggling student quickly began to feel at home. This is just one example of how kind and caring Cambria is!”

Cambria says her favorite thing to do with her Student Support Coordinator Ms. Angie is paint her nails! She also enjoys spending time working on their donut puzzle.

Wendoly is a current 9th grader at GCHS. Wendoly’s teachers noticed she was struggling to see the board and referred her to CIS for assistance obtaining glasses. She continued working with her Student Support Coordinator Katie McClave to track grades and complete history assignments.

Wendoly’s favorite class is English because she loves to read, especially fantasy books or manga. When she’s not spending time outside school reading or writing stories, Wendoly loves hanging out with her best friend and watching movies (especially scary ones).

SSC Katie’s favorite Wendoly moment was the day she emailed her, “Ms. Can I come to see you? I want to show you something,” because that was the day SSC Katie discovered her passion and talent for writing. As soon as she got to SSC Katie’s office, Wendoly opened up her computer, showed her google docs of stories she had started writing, and shared even more ideas for stories she wanted to write in the future.

Wendoly’s favorite thing about CIS of Mid-America is the snacks, and her favorite thing about her Student Support Coordinator is that she helps her with homework.