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Many of them want to go to college, but aren't sure what they need to do. They're students who might fall through the cracks. But Strive to Excel is there to catch them.
"We're in the business of selling hope," executive director Tim Singleton said.
Strive to Excel started at Hilton Head Island High School 10 years ago, an outgrowth of several similar programs to foster student achievement. Since then, it's expanded to Bluffton High School. Sub-programs focus on African-American youth and middle schoolers. Future plans include programs focused on Hispanic students.
More than 500 students have passed through the program. About 97 percent of those have gone on to post-secondary schooling. The majority of those are the first generation in their family to do so. To help out, Strive has doled out $250,000 in scholarships.
"Strive to Excel has had itself entrenched in the community," Singleton said. "Our mission is to be here for a long time."
Singleton compares the program to a type of private school within a public school. Students apply to belong, based on academic, financial or emotional need. Recommendation letters from parents and teachers stress how that student wants to succeed but may need guidance in doing so.
Throughout high school, Strive students are involved in a variety of programs. Community members give seminars on everything from college prep to local Gullah culture. Strive leaders take students on field trips to tour colleges. Students have bi-monthly evaluations to make sure their grades are up to par. And, students give back. They volunteer with the Special Olympics, Boys & Girls Club and other community organizations.
Singleton said the success of the program is largely due to the connection established between the students and the community. The Strive-organized HawkFest raises money for the program and other student groups through a community festival held every summer. Because it's a nonprofit organization, Strive is dependent on contributions in many forms, whether that's money or volunteer help. Singleton calls it the three T's -- time, talent and treasures.
"We could not have gotten so far without the community," he said.
Tom Gardo, a local businessman, first got involved in Strive five years at the bequest of Singleton. Gardo had been involved as a mentor at the high school, even when Singleton was a student there. Gardo now sits on the board of directors because he's seen the impact it can have on students.
"This is the kind of group that is helpful to the community as a whole," he said. "When you have kids who see the positive, they don't go down those negative roads."
MISS SEAHAWK PAGEANT
The third annual Miss Seahawk Pageant will be held Wednesday at the Hilton Head Island High School Visual & Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Twelve students will compete for the crown. Admission is $5. All proceeds go to the Strive to Excel Scholarship Fund.
For more information, call 843-689-4982.
