‘This is the beginning, not the end’

Before Thursday, June 14, Angela B. was the only one of her mother’s nine children not to have graduated from high school. Walking across the stage to finally receive her diploma at the Academy of Hope graduation ceremony, her smile said all her family needed to know. “I told my mom that instead of saying eight of your children have a high school diploma, now you can say that all nine of them have one,” she said.  Now, Angela plans to continue her education with the goal of becoming a substance abuse counselor.

Angela poses for her graduation portrait.

            Angela was in good company at the ceremony, held in Crawford Hall in North East, DC. In an auditorium crowded with proud graduates, their beaming family members and a whole network of support in the Academy of Hope staff and volunteer faculty, everyone had a reason to be proud.  Introducing the graduates, Executive Director, Lecester Johnson, quoted the Shel Silverstein poem “Woulda-Coulda-Shouda,” in which “…those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas/All ran away and hid/From that one little Did.”

            “Standing in front of me are a whole bunch of ‘Dids,’” Johnson said. It was not an easy road for a lot of the graduates here tonight…and it is one thing to say ‘I ‘woulda coulda shoulda’ done it’, it’s another thing to have actually succeeded.”

             As each student was introduced and was presented withtheir diploma, there were plenty of success stories to go around.  Twenty-four of the 27 graduates were present to walk across the stage to receive their GED certificates or high school diplomas.    The audience heard from graduate Antonette R., who remembered returning to her classes at Strive for Success, the STRIVE DC-Academy of Hope joint youth-focused GED program, a mere two days after giving birth to her son. She was getting ready to go to class on the day her contractions began, but soon realized that she would have to go to the hospital. “The first thing I did…was call my teachers from the hospital to tell them I can’t make it,” she said. She had her baby and went right back to studying – she was determined to not let anything get in the way of her obtaining her high school diploma.

            For Mary C., graduating from Academy of Hope with her high school diploma after 17 years of hard work means that she can get back on track with a career in child development or education—a plan that has been on her radar for a while. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said. She had worked with preschoolers before and the fact that she didn’t have her high school diploma held her back.  Now, armed with one following her long awaited and well deserved graduation from Academy of Hope, she’s looking forward to continuing her education at the University of DC and eventually working in childhood development.

            Throughout the evening, the smiles kept coming. Anthony J. accepted his diploma after being named the ‘social butterfly’ by his presenter. Four students received attendance awards for their dedication to coming to class and Tony Y. received the “I Can Fly” award for his hard work in class and great help outside the classroom. Several other students received the industry recognized Internet and Computer Core Certification (IC3) certificates, which will greatly help them in their further pursuits of either college or a job.  Eugene Thompson, a former volunteer, opened the ceremony with a passionate take on “You Raise Me Up.”

June 2012 Academy of Hope graduates with Executive Director, Lecester Johnson.

“This day means the fulfillment of so many dreams,” Academy of Hope’s co-founder, Marja Hilfiker said. Whether it means closure after a lifetime of striving for a high school diploma or the extra boost that a young person needed to get to college, for the students, teachers and families at the graduation, Thursday was more than a day to celebrate their achievements. It was the beginning of a lifetime full of continued success.

By Martha Shanahan, volunteer writer for Academy of Hope 

Lecester Johnson, 2011 Exponent Award Winner & AoH Executive Director

Please enjoy this video made by the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation recognizing Lecester Johnson, Academy of Hope Executive Director, as one of the 2011 Exponent Award recipients.

WAMU Features Two AoH Learners

Academy of Hope is pleased to share WAMU's “American Graduate” series, which kicks off its first article featuring two Academy of Hope learners, Saundra Walker and Grace McMillan, mother and daughter respectively. In this article entitled “Breaking the Cycle when Dropping Out Runs in the Family”, Saundra and Grace discuss the struggles they faced in high school, why they dropped out and how different it could have been had they and their children finished high school. Today this mother and daughter duo are attending classes together at Academy of Hope, picking up where they had left off in high school and working towards their GED certificates.  Hear their stories here and learn the top five reasons dropouts identify for leaving school. This article aired on Jan. 24^th, 2012 on WAMU 88.5, a local affiliate of NPR.  "American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen" is a public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

NACo employees raise over $11K in support of Academy of Hope

NACo staff enjoying the 2011 Holiday Auction.

Corporate giving isn't just about writing checks; it can also be about having fun!  Each December since the early 1990s, the staff of the National Association of Counties (NACo) has held a Holiday Auction to raise money for a D.C.-area charity. Employees nominate various charities, and staff votes to choose one. This year, they selected Academy of Hope as their beneficiary and raised $11,300!

“NACo employees show their generosity year after year at our Holiday Auction,” NACo Executive Director  Larry E. Naake said. “This year’s total was among the highest we’ve ever raised, and we’re proud to be able to help an organization like the Academy of Hope, which is doing such important work in Washington, D.C.”

At the auction, employees bid on staff-donated items ranging from colleagues’ signature baked goods and libations to an autographed Jerry Rice football, homemade pierogies or a grab bag of memorabilia collected by employees during their business travel to the nation’s counties.  A “live” auction on a Friday is preceded by a silent auction the previous day. The association also kicks in money raised yearlong on its Friday “Jeans Days,” when employees can pay one dollar for the privilege of wearing denim. Watch a video clip from the 2011 auction at http://youtu.be/GinH7oddsO4.

NACo is the only national organization representing county government. Driven by a strong membership, it represents 3,068 counties across America. To learn more about NACo, visit www.naco.org. 

Academy of Hope is grateful for NACo and its staff for their generosity and incredible support!!

Meet Lecester Johnson, 2011 Exponent Award Recipient

“I am humbled and grateful," says Lecester Johnson, Academy of Hope's Executive Director. "This award is not for me but for our students, staff and community...and I thank each and every person who has contributed to our AoH family throughout 27 years.”

Academy of Hope's Executive Director, Ms. Lecester Johnson, has been selected by The Meyer Foundation to receive one of three of this year’s prestigious Exponent Award.  The award recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of DC’s most talented, visionary, and effective nonprofit executives and comes with a two-year grant of $100,000.  Since joining Academy of Hope in 2006, Lecester not only guided the organization through a very tough economic climate but also managed a sustained growth, expanding the budget as well as programs and services for adult learners.  Lecester brings strategic vision and a deep understanding of education as well as compassion to the plight of individuals living in the District of Columbia who experience low-literacy or who are under-educated.  “She is truly an inspired, dedicated and hard-working leader,” says Mr. Ryan Young, AoH Board Chair. “This is a testament to the impact of an exceptional leader and her dedication to the community.” We thank the entire AoH community and dedicate this award to all of you!

View the press release here.

The Exponent Award, established in 2006, celebrates awardees' success at increasing the impact of their organization's work, instituting sound management, and serving as collaborative community leaders.  This year, only three nonprofit leaders are honored with the 2011 Exponent Award.

The Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation identifies and invests in visionary leaders and effective community-based nonprofit organizations that are working to create lasting improvements in the lives of low-income people in the Washington, DC metropolitan region, and works to strengthen the region's nonprofit sector as a vital and respected partner in meeting community needs.

For more information, click here or contact Adriana Kao at adriana@aohdc.org or 202-269-6623

Academy of Hope mentioned in McCartney's Washington Post column

Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney suggests billionaire philanthropist could start with an investment in Academy of Hope to help bring long-term solution to DC poverty.

Robert McCartney, Washington Post columnist and radio/TV commentator, has been investigating and writing about how the billionaire Bill Conway can put $1 billion to help the area's poorest residents.  Bill Conway is a local area businessman who is looking for a way to make a big, long-term impact and has asked the public for ideas on how to help the DC community. 

The Washington Post columnist has been corresponding with Mr. Conway and has done some of his own research.  Mr. McCartney spoke with Academy of Hope's Executive Director, Ms. Lecester Johnson, just recently after he received various positive comments about Academy of Hope and our work.  Mr. McCartney writes in his Sunday column about his conclusion after weeks of research and interviews on how to start tackling the chronic problem of poverty that too many DC residents face.

He says, "The sorry fact...is that a sizable number of people in our region - at least 50,000 in the District - are so poorly educated that they're effectively unemployable."  Find out what he suggests and how Academy of Hope fits into that long-term solution plan.

"Here's my idea for philanthropist to help poor find jobs"
by Robert McCartney (Published in The Washington Post on October 22, 2011)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/robert-mccartney-heres-my-idea-for-philanthropist-to-help-poor-find-jobs/2011/10/21/gIQAnO886L_story.html


Thank you Mr. McCartney for your thoughtful comments!

Interested in helping?  Volunteer at Academy of Hope as a teacher or tutor, or donate to support our work! 

Volunteer at Academy of Hope



One of our returning volunteers, Max reviews student assignments during his class.



Academy of Hope's mission is to provide high quality adult basic education in a manner that changes lives and improves our community. We cannot accomplish our goals without our dedicated volunteers. Here is how you too can change lives in your community.

 Come and be a volunteer teacher or tutor at the Academy of Hope. Teach adults the skills they need to get their high school credential- either with a small class or one-on-one. To get started, commit to teaching 2 hours a week for a 12 week term. Teachers of basic writing and math are needed. Academy of Hope is holding a training session for new volunteer teachers and tutors on Saturday, August 27, from 9 am to 1 pm.

Please call (202) 269-6623 or e-mail volunteer@aohdc.org for more information. Check the website for more information on The Hope.