Meet Ricky and Kenneth

Published July 12, 2019 on Educational Justice's Blog

Nearly two years ago, Kenneth and Ricky met for the first time — not knowing the changes that awaited them.

Kenneth, currently a 7th grader, said he struggled with many subjects prior to entering Educational Justice’s program as a Scholar, but math was the most challenging. When his mother mentioned EJ to him one day, Kenneth, unlike most preteens, jumped at the chance to be tutored.

“I was behind in some of my classes, and I wanted to catch up,” explained Kenneth.

Through his tutor Ricky, whose favorite subject is math, Kenneth not only found a love for the subject — he now excels at it and gives credit to Ricky.

Ricky, now a sophomore, admits that he first joined EJ as a freshman, thinking it would simply be a good way to collect service hours. However, he was unaware of the impact the program would have on his future.

“From this I expanded my horizons to work with more educational initiatives,” said Ricky, who also tutors through a service at Byck Elementary and is a mentor with the W.E.B. DuBois Academy.

While Ricky is keeping his options for future plans open, Kenneth seems to know exactly what he wants in the way of a career. Thanks to his favorite T.V. shows and a new found confidence in his academics, Kenneth stated, “I want to work for the FBI.”