Success Awards | C J
Program: Eckerd Connects | Prevention Services
Age: 13
“I have some football equipment, but it is all old and worn out because my mom doesn’t have money to buy me more. I need cleats, gloves, a mouth guard and practice clothes like shirts and shorts.”
CJ is on a mission to become an NFL player. His background has made that goal challenging. This sixth grader is a loyal son and one of five children in a single-parent home. While his mother works hard, their finances are limited, with just one salary to pay the bills. CJ has struggled academically, in part, due to missing classes because of his family’s lack of reliable transportation. CJ has struggled with controlling his temper, and as a result gotten into trouble at school. But that changed when he switched schools and enrolled into Eckerd Connects’ Prevention Services for one-on-one support. Through the Eckerd Connects’ program, CJ has made significant progress in controlling his emotions and bringing his grades up. He now takes his schoolwork seriously as well as football, which he loves dearly. One teacher shared that when CJ is in class, he works hard and does well on his schoolwork. As a determined young man, CJ’s dream is to go to college and then get drafted into the NFL. Thanks to the Eckerd Connects’ Success Awards program, CJ now has a way to work towards his goals. He will be able to go to a football skills camp and get the new football gear he needs for practice and games. CJ is grateful to receive the Success Award.
“It is important to me because I believe I can make it to the next level and make a way for me to go to college and hopefully to the NFL,” said CJ. “I want to be able to help my mom when I get older because she has done so much for me.”
Additional Stats:
- CJ volunteers to pick up the football field and surrounding area before and after games.
- He is working hard to improve academically and recently raised his history grade.
- CJ is well on his way to completing a second set of goals for the year.