Thanksgiving and the Like....

Here we are, another Thanksgiving holiday passed, and another Black Friday survived. We all have plenty to be thankful for. We are thankful for our parents who motivate our students to come to school. We are thankful for our students who want to see an expected end:  their high school diploma. We are thankful for the teachers who work day in and day out to see our students reach their goals. We are thankful for our directors who work tirelessly to support students and staff as they move towards graduation. We are so very thankful for that 5 day break from it all!!!

We know that this time of year can bring joy and tears, but most of all we must stay focused. We must be focused on our students' success. We must be focused on our students' future endeavors. We must be focused on helping them become realistic everyday role models to those around them. We must be focused on the here and now, to properly shape the there and later.

We are asking you to not think about the large gifts and sparkling things, but the future this high school diploma will bring. We want you to focus on the gift that keeps on giving: education. The limits are taken off our students' lives when we give them tools to be successful. Can you help us do that? Will you encourage your student to come to school? Will you give them that extra push? We can take it from there if you just get them in the door! We will push them to be their absolute best!! We cannot do it without your help.

Looking forward to the future,

Marion County DBI

Life Skills!!!

Over the past few months, our students have been learning the importance of an education and its relevance to their career path. Just two weeks ago, we had a dynamic speaker to pull it all together. Daniel Grimes, an Associate at Today's Male, took out time to come and share with our students. He was initially slated to speak to us about dressing for success, but that request was shifted to another message so profound and necessary.

Mr. Grimes came into a room of chatting young adults anxiously awaiting the arrival of their speaker. There was laughter and smiles while stories of the days past were shared. Ms. Morris introduced him to the class, and he was dressed professionally with a light blue tailored shirt tucked into his gray slacks. His smile welcomed the students as they say in quiet expectation.

After his brief introduction, he began to explain to the students the importance of self control. He spoke of how the lack of self control can shape one's future into a harder path to success. He explained the lack of discipline will cause difficulty in life, and now that our students are enrolled in DBI, they have opened a door of opportunity for themselves. "When you do not have a diploma, you must take what they want to give you. When you have a diploma, you give yourself choices."

He reminded the students of the experiences that he had as a high school drop out himself. He recalled the shame, the low self esteem, and the inability to get a job because he decided to drop out of high school. The students were in agreement with his feelings, and they could see that he understood how they felt about not graduating as well. They began to share their experiences as well.

After several years, he told the students that he finally went back to get his GED, and is now earning a degree in business management. He explained he knew he needed to go back because he wanted to be successful, and "without that piece of paper (high school diploma), you are going to have a hard time." He gave our students a realistic view of their future. He told them none of this would be possible if he had not changed his mindset.

He told our students that, "your greatest enemy is your inner-me." You and your thoughts of, I can't make it, I am never going to make it, cannot be a part of your thought process, he said. You have to change your thinking and you will change the outcome of your life. In order to change your thinking you will have to change who you hang around as well. He asked our students to think about the 5 most influential people in their lives and what they say. How do they help you? Do they speak negatively about things people?

Our students were quietly contemplating those around them, and realized that they need to change their surroundings and their thinking to make sure they can be a success. After a round of applause, they were compelled to change. Job well done, Daniel Grimes, job well done!!