A Story of Student Transformation
Since last year, Antoine has struggled with consistent school attendance, which began to create significant barriers to his academic progress. While Mrs. Norcross, his CIS Success Coach at Town Creek Middle School, was working closely with him on his attendance this year, it became clear that he needed more support to bridge his learning gaps and find a reason to stay engaged with school.
Recognizing the need for a multifaceted approach, Mrs. Norcross collaborated with his family. At his mother’s request, Mrs. Norcross integrated him into the CIS weekly tutoring program. Through targeted support, he began meeting with a volunteer tutor once a week, initially focusing on Math and then expanding into English Language Arts. This personalized one-on-one attention to his needs in a “judgment free zone” allowed him to build confidence in tackling difficult subjects and yielded high-impact results.
The true turning point came when Antoine identified a personal goal: he wanted to join the school’s baseball team. Knowing that academic eligibility, and specifically passing all classes, was a requirement for participation, his tutoring sessions took on a new sense of urgency and purpose. The hard work paid off. Because of his improved attendance and academic commitment, he met the eligibility requirements, tried out, and made the baseball team.
Today, Antoine isn’t just attending school; he is a proud representative of its student-athlete community. This success shows how combining academic support with extracurricular incentives can transform a student’s trajectory, fostering a sense of belonging and a renewed drive to succeed. Antoine put in the hard work and truly hit a home run!
