2024 Student Stories of Growth

When Zechariah joined WINGS as a kindergartener (two years ago), he would not talk. If you asked him a question he’d only answer by shaking his head yes or no; he struggled with listening and following directions, too. But this year Zechariah stepped out of his shell which allowed us to learn so much about him! Zechariah’s mentors and WINGS Leaders intentionally encouraged him to participate in team activities where he had to express himself and work with others. By doing this, he was able to make new friends and become comfortable talking to his peers. Zechariah never used to raise his hand for community activities like Heys & Praise (giving positive feedback to peers) but now he’s excited to speak on the microphone in front of the whole program. And, every day he recites our Words to Live By LOUD AND PROUD! Zechariah has made several new friends and it’s been beautiful to see him connect, open up, and bond with others while spreading his wings!  -- Ms. Sydney

Malak's remarkable growth this past year is a testament to the transformative power of friendship, commonalities, and art. From her quiet demeanor at the beginning of the year, Malak has blossomed into a vibrant and engaged member of our WINGS community. With constant support and engagement from her mentor and WINGS Leader Ms. LaLa, Malak gained the confidence to put her unique personality on display. Previously on the sidelines, Malak now eagerly participates in conversations, forging connections and friendships easily. Her passion for art has evolved from a hidden talent into her expressive voice -- each piece illustrating her developing creative spirit. Malak's peers recognized her growth by awarding her the peer-voted TEAM award for her ability to “Act as One, Win together, Lose together.” Those who once remarked on her silence now find themselves drawn to her infectious laughter and witty remarks, proof WINGS provided her a safe space to be herself. Keep soaring Malak and discovering who you are! -- Ms. Kinnethia

Even though he’s off to middle school next year, Aaron left a lasting impact on everyone he encountered this past year. When Aaron initially joined WINGS, he hesitated to embrace the lessons in our Words to Live By. The most challenging SEL lesson Aaron faced was managing his emotions when life would surprise him. But by the end of this year, he transformed like a caterpillar into a butterfly! He not only committed to expressing his emotions with words, but he also thought before he acted to make good choices, and became dedicated to showing up as the best version of himself each day. It was impressive to see him transform into a leader for his peers and his younger brother right before our eyes. We know Aaron will continue to embody the lessons he learned at WINGS in middle school - and for a lifetime.  -- Mr. Dom

When King first came to WINGS, he hated everything about it: he had to control his impulses, he didn’t want to be a kind and caring friend, and he most certainly did not like the expectations we held him to! Then one day, we had a breakthrough. King had a rough day at home and came to WINGS feeling very upset, so he asked his WINGS Leader if he could sit alone because he wasn’t having a good day. I noticed King was sitting alone eating his snack, I could not ignore his distance, so, I sat and ate with him. We talked and took turns sharing things that bothered us. After that day, King realized we (WINGS) cared about him, and that we wanted to see him happy and soaring! He started encouraging other students to Share Their ID (take ownership), Step into the Shoes of Others (show empathy), and he even had the opportunity to be a Junior WINGS Leader! King turned his behavior around so much, he won the Behavior Improvement Award the following month! We are SO proud of King!  -- Ms. Amber  
P.S. This is him on crazy hair day. He wore his grandmother's wig!

Makayla encountered many challenges in her first and second trimesters: controlling her impulses, responsible decision-making, and stepping into others' shoes (showing empathy). We tried several of our WINGS methods. but they didn’t make the long-lasting difference that we desired. It wasn’t until we sat down with her Mom, that she became vulnerable about how WINGS supports her and the benefits of being a part of the program. This conversation tugged at Makayla’s heartstrings and she was able to step into her mom's shoes by embracing the Words to Live By to ensure her Mom continued to feel supported. Since then, Makayla worked diligently to change her behavior. This positive change has resulted in Makayla earning the Behavior Improvement award! -- Ms. Q

Alan has been a WINGS kid since he started at Heritage Elementary in kindergarten and has always been lively, sweet, and ready for any activity or challenge. Now a 5th grader, this year was different: he was “too cool” for WINGS and the lessons we teach. He stayed to himself more and didn’t want to engage with others. Over time, I began to have some intentional one-on-one bonding with Alan. I found out he didn’t like a lot of noise and chaos because it was hard for him to focus when students were off task. We talked about different ways he could serve as a role model of the positive behaviors he wanted to see in others -- and he was game! 

In January, Alan received our Behavior Improvement award. And since then, Alan has played an active role in his peers’ experience at WINGS. He loved helping younger students with expectations or assisting staff with the set-up of events. He was someone both the WINGS Leaders (mentors) and students knew they could trust and depend on. You would often hear him redirect & remind students to be kind and caring. He would say “Do you hear your WINGS Leaders talk to you like that? So we should not talk to our teammates like that. It isn’t kind.” From the beginning of this year to the end, we have seen him grow and blossom into a leader who knows how to utilize his strengths and weaknesses in different scenarios, act as one, and support his team! We can’t wait to see how he takes on middle school! -- Ms. Ty-kiera

When Kyson started WINGS, he was quiet and would go hours without speaking - no matter how often we tried to get him to engage - he preferred to keep quiet and observe. I reached out to his classroom teachers to confirm what we were experiencing was consistent with the school day-- and it was. Then, when one of Kyson’s friends from elementary school joined WINGS, Kyson became a new person! He participated in community-wide events, freeplay (his favorite), and would even stop by the office before WINGS to chat. Then his best friend transferred schools and Kyson’s behavior nosedived. He was no longer quiet but instead showcased BIG emotions, refused to continue WINGS, and made it clear he was only staying because of another friend.

It was during a tennis enrichment program that Kyson and I talked about the challenges he’s been going through: family changes, moving to a new house, not doing well in baseball, and of course the recent change from elementary to intermediate school. We focused on what he could control and I allowed him to vent about what he couldn’t. That day we brainstormed ways we could find the positive in our days. We worked on communicating effectively to share our emotions. Kyson’s behavior during the school day turned around as well. Teachers allowed him to come to the WINGS office when he needed to reset & relax. On the last day of WINGS this year, Kyson thanked everyone in the program AND his parents. Kyson asked if I would remember him I told him of course! -- Ms. Sara