I first came to know Franklin Polk five years ago when I began serving in one of the many educational community service programs sponsored by Case Western Reserve University’s Office of Student Community Service. He was one of several students at Central Middle School I was assigned to tutor through the program, Project STEP-UP (Student Tutoring Effort to Promote the Utilization of Potential). For over 11 years, this after-school tutoring program has trained and paired CWRU college students as tutors and mentors with at-risk middle school students in the Cleveland Public School system (Central, Harry E. Davis, and Cleveland School of the Arts). While spending two afternoons a week tutoring and interacting with our Project STEP-UP kids plus weekend educational field trips, many of the CWRU tutors have developed strong relationships with our kids. Several of my co-tutors keep in touch with their kids over the phone and this summer one tutor even coordinated a slumber party for all the girls at Central Middle School where everyone wore matching cloud print pajamas!!! Over the last three years a close bond like this has developed between Frank and I.

This opportunity to attend one of Cleveland’s premier all-boys schools arose through Frank’s participation in the National Youth Sports Program summer camp (conducted on CWRU’s campus by Women’s Track Coach, Dennis Harris) where many others came to recognize his talent. Currently, this free summer sports camp which is administered by the NCAA provides sports instruction with exciting educational programs for economically disadvantaged youth between the ages of 10 to 16 at over 185 universities and colleges across the US. Being a student-athlete in both high school and college myself, I encouraged Frank to participate in track because of the obvious speed and athleticism he displayed whilst students and tutors played basketball (as a reward for doing a good job in tutoring).

With immense pride, I watched Frank receive The Camper of the Year Reward out of over 400 NYSP summer camp participants this summer and begin his high school education at a prestigious private, catholic school versus the troubled high school he was tracked to attend in the Cleveland Public Schools.

My experience with Frank and other inner-city, African-American youth like him has influenced my life and college career greatly. Like Frank, I embarked on a new, challenging path this fall by beginning graduate work towards a Ph.D. in sociology. Through a career in sociology, I hope to help many more kids like Frank realize their potential. He has been as much of an influence in my life as I hope I have been in his life.