2012 Dare to Dream Summit
85 students from eight Muscogee County schools participated in the Dare To Dream Summit for 2012 on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. The program, sponsored by AFLAC, provided an opportunity for sophomores and juniors from these institutions to participate in a dialogue with young community leaders from the Greater Columbus area.
Students from Carver, Columbus, Hardaway, Jordan, Kendrick, Northside, Shaw, Spencer, Early College, and Rose Hill had an opportunity to interact with facilitators about some of the challenges that they face in school, at home, and in the community.
Facilitators for this year’s Summit included Alida Davis-Abdullah, Katonga Wright, David Britt, Lanitra Menefee, James Allen, Curtis Bryant, Jed Tuiolosega, Rashad Hassan, Sergio Montes and Nikia Mapson.
Following the three concurrent workshops replicated so that each of the students had an opportunity to interact with all of the facilitators, a welcome at the luncheon was offered by One Columbus board co-chair Jorge Vega. Superintendent Susan Andrews welcomed the audience and encouraged the students to be attentive to the opportunities which are presented in the Dare To Dream Summits and thanked One Columbus for these kind of motivational experiences for the students in the MCSD.
Revealing the most intimate negative and positive challenges which faced her during her youth, keynote speaker Yvonne Harvey-Williams held the students’ attention with a story told in rapid-fire staccato that kept them mesmerized for the duration of her presentation – an experience that will not soon be forgotten.
Ken Crooks, executive director of One Columbus, thanked the speaker, chair of the Summit Brandi Dawson, MCSD liaison Dr. B. J. McBride, Dr. Susan Andrews, the facilitators, the counselors who made it possible for the students to come, and all those in attendance.
