Student Stories

• Marquisha H.

“I thought ‘they’re only picking 20 people; I won’t get picked.’ They picked 20 and it wasn’t me.”

– Marquisha H., CATC graduate



Marquisha had long dreamed of being a social worker at Children’s Hospital, so did she ever perk up when she discovered that what she thought would be a “boring old job fair” included a presentation about a program designed just for CATC students. As a senior about to graduate with help from CATC, she had a chance to work as a patient attendant at the hospital. The program includes special training designed to help kids from disadvantaged neighborhoods overcome the kinds of challenges others might not face. It would be a foot in the door, she’d start learning about helping others, and, with tuition assistance, she could get a social work degree and one day achieve her ultimate dream. Marquisha applied, but she wasn’t picked.

Setbacks weren’t a new thing to Marquisha, though. “Everybody said ‘oh, she’ll never make it’ when I had my daughter in 10th grade,” she says. But here she was graduating. She didn’t think she could succeed at CATC, either, “because I couldn’t draw” and figured everyone was more talented. But she excelled in digital multi-media, and one of her pieces even sold at a CATC art show.

So Marquisha kept calling. If there were any chance…she wanted it so much. She tried for months, and finally got the call she’d hoped for. Another student had withdrawn, and because of her persistence the opportunity would go to Marquisha. The program wasn’t easy, and there were more setbacks. Classes were all day every day, and Marquisha had a child and a heavy senior workload. Tests make her nervous and she failed the first written test at Children’s. She persisted and was hired; then, she was pregnant again.

It was a lot to manage, but what Marquisha learned at CATC helped her prevail. The adults at CATC taught her to think differently, she says, to plan ahead and have a Plan B. “I think about the things I do now, and have a feel for how I want things to go even if they don’t go exactly as I want.”

Marquisha now works at Cincinnati Children’s and attends Raymond Walters, majoring in social work. “I see kids who are abused,” or face other obstacles, she says. “If someone was there to talk with them, they could help them maybe not make that mistake.” Marquisha wants to be that person and, based on past performance, she will be.

• Asia A.

“I’ve learned if you want something and you’re determined, you can do it. I didn’t think I could do art, but people liked it–and bought it!”

– Asia A, CATC graduate



Asia A. was getting A’s and B’s in her freshman year, despite a hard life. She never knew her dad, mom had 10 kids, and Asia lived with relatives off and on. “I was always pretty mature,” Asia says, and that included being responsible about school.

Things went wrong in 10th grade, though. She and a sister moved in with a relative who was never there, and every two weeks dropped off $40 for the girls to live on. Then she was pregnant, and living alone in an abandoned house with no furnace. It was a cold winter, so mostly Asia stayed in bed. “I wasn’t going to school much; it didn’t feel important.”

Wanting a better life for her baby, Asia rallied for her junior year, and moved in with her boyfriend’s mother when Jemell was born. Still, it was a tough year. Asia failed some classes, and despite passing them in summer school, she still ranked as a junior at the start of her senior year. Asia came to CATC. “I didn’t know anything about art but told myself ‘I’m just here for the credits.’”

Then she got her hands in the clay, and it was fun. She was surprised when the bowl sold at the first art show. When the students had to choose a hero to depict in their art, Asia, who had mostly taken care of herself, was half joking when she told her instructor, “Ms. Jamie, I think my baby is my hero.” Ms. Jamie took her seriously, though. It took twelve long weeks to make the ceramic baby. “All I had made was a bowl; I had never made art!”And as she stayed at it, Asia began to realize that her little boy really is her hero. So many good things started happening when he came into the world. A place to live, chances to make up for lost time, and some caring adults in her life.

There was even a chance, through CATC, to work at Children’s Hospital. This was beyond anything Asia had ever imagined, and she didn’t really get it at first. Ms. Laura, at CATC, took her aside. This could be a lifelong job, with benefits. It would take a lot of work. “It scared me and I thought ‘you’ve got to really want it, or don’t go for it.” Asia remembered all the things she hadn’t known she could do, like making art or catching up on her credits, and decided she wanted it. She almost panicked during a test where she had to take a patient’s vital signs, but remembered, “Well there’s things I didn’t think I could do, that I did,” and she passed.

Asia graduated with her class, was accepted at Cincinnati State, has an apartment for herself and Jemell, and hopes to start at Children’s in the fall. Oh, and the ceramic baby? That sold, too.

• John D.

 ”I wasn’t strict on homework, due dates, things being  done on time. I don’t think I would have graduated, started college, or have a great job if it weren’t for CATC.”

– John D., CATC graduate 2011; University of Cincinnati student; patient care assistant, UC Health.


John’s high school career was rocky.  He’d always had the drive to work-he volunteered, then gave tours and worked in the children’s play area at Union Terminal -but wasn’t motivated when it came to school.

“I wasn’t strict on homework, due dates, things having to be done on time,” he confesses.  Working parents “were there for me and cared, but didn’t have much time. I had a lot of leeway.” Having chronic migraines didn’t help; he was skipping school three or more days a week.

At the beginning of what should have been his senior year, John still didn’t expect to graduate and learned about CATC from a teacher and friends. Expecting another boring academic experience, CATC was a surprise. “They made it interesting and fun and they really care,” he recalls.

Still, “I was so behind I needed to pass every course, go to night school, and complete CATC credits.”  CATC instructors were persistent. “‘If I missed a day, they’d ask why and say ‘here’s what you need to do to catch up.’” He became the first to graduate among five siblings.

John also made it through the rigorous Bridging the Gap workforce program at CATC. As a result, he is now thriving as a patient care assistant at UC Health. He’s studying criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati and plans to earn a degree in nursing, too.  Success helps relieve stress, and the migraines have subsided from at least three per week to one or two per month.

John attributes his success to learning the importance of punctuality and how to stop procrastinating, from CATC and Bridging the Gap. “Now, when a new paper is assigned, I start research that same night. And I always get to work 15 minutes early,” he reports. Bridging the Gap also taught him how to handle volatile work situations. That comes in handy in a job that involves reassuring frightened family members at the hospital. “I learned how to keep myself calm in hot-headed situations. If you don’t, people feed off your energy and it gets worse,” he explains.

John says he knows now that even the smallest things can’t be taken for granted, “like thinking I could go to school, not study, or show up late and be OK.” And to believe in himself, “because no one else can tell you what you can or can’t do, and if you believe in yourself, the sky’s the limit.”

• Alexa H.

 ”Being a Reds intern helped me become more of an adult; it pushed me out of high school and into the business world.”

- Alexa H., CATC graduate and first Reds intern, 2011

Being at CATC for two years helped Alexa earn a coveted slot: she is the first CATC student to serve as summer intern for the Cincinnati Reds.

Alexa says she landed the assignment because she was not the same girl who first came to CATC two years earlier, for the art program. She got more than she expected. An honor student, Alexa wasn’t there for credits, like many of her peers. But she realizes now that other things were keeping her from realizing her full potential. “Three years ago I would have been so quiet, shy and scared” she says. Usually she sat only with people she knew. She had a hard time standing up in class or taking criticism.

The experience at CATC changed all that.  “I learned I have to be more open to other people’s opinions, and to be comfortable out of my comfort zone.” Alexa blossomed into a confident, outgoing, flexible young woman. She even passed along her new-found skills to her little sister. “I taught her to be more open-minded, that you can’t be narrow.”

Those skills came in handy when she competed and was selected for the Reds internship job. “You can’t be shy at the Reds. During game days they have you running all over. Out of nowhere you have to talk with people.” Success on the job depended on flexibility and a willingness to do whatever is asked.  Every day is different, she explains: you’re doing paperwork one minute, then going to UPS, then packaging gifts for season ticket holders, getting a group of business people to batting practice, cleaning  out the owner’s closet, or helping at the children’s booth.

One day, Alexa’s assignment was to create a document showing the best-selling 20 items in the Reds Team Shop, with photos and prices. No other instruction, she says, “I had to take the initiative.” That meant finding a camera, which meant locating the multimedia department, introducing herself and explaining her mission.  Next, on to the Team Shop, more introductions, identifying the items, gathering and photographing them, all without disrupting the busy retail operation.  Then, compiling it all and, the final kicker, learning to use Excel software to complete the assignment. Throughout, Alexa says she was nervous, “but it felt good. Yay, I did it!”

Dealing with a lot of people and new situations every day, getting things done with little direction, and sometimes setting aside
emotions and staying professional, helped Alexa become more of an adult, she explains. “I told myself , ‘this is a business, this is how the people I work with feed their families.’  So I acted like this is how I feed my family, too. It pushed me out of high school and into the business world.”

Alexa plans to be a graphic designer and is going to Wright State University. She wasn’t a baseball fan when she started at the Reds, but “now I’m watching it at home and it’s always on.” Just goes to show what can happen, she says, if you’re willing to get out there and let it.

• Genine G.

“I knew I had to have a plan. I could support myself, but finding a stable job would  help make sure I could take care of another person.”

– Genine G., CATC graduate 2011; winner America’s Promise scholarship;  student, Cincinnati State; patient attendant, Cincinnati Children’s; mother.

Genine had always been a good student– remarkably so, given challenges that included homelessness and, most recently, unexpected motherhood.

Despite these challenges, she was doing well in school and wasn’t behind in credits. So she didn’t need CATC to help her graduate, nor did she think she was especially good at art. Genine came to CATC simply because “it was something special to learn.” Attending CATC raised another challenge-it meant missing math class and therefore having to learn algebra on her own. That’s exactly what she did, although  she asserts”I’m not good at math.” But Genine knows a good thing when she sees it and finishes what she starts; she stayed at CATC for two years.

During winter break of her senior year, Genine discovered she was pregnant. She delayed plans to start college and entered CATC’s Bridging the Gap program with the hope that it would lead to meaningful employment. “I knew I had to have a plan.  I could support myself but finding a stable job would help make sure I could take care of another person.”

Genine completed the rigorous Bridging the Gap training, and says preparing for and taking the state test during a drenchingly hot August while she was “carrying 35 pounds of extra weight, was really hot and nervous, and could feel the baby kicking” was one of the hardest parts.

Commitment and perseverance are paying off.  Genine was selected among aspiring students nationwide as recipient of the America’s Promise scholarship. She now attends nursing school at Cincinnati State, has started her job at Cincinnati Children’s, and is taking care of her little girl–with some babysitting and other logistical help, but making it on her own, thank you very much.

Five years from now, Genine expects to be finishing college and on her way to becoming a registered nurse.  She envisions a healthy, happy daughter starting kindergarten and coming home to a safe, financially secure home that Genine’s hard work has made possible.

In her scholarship-winning essay, Genine described support she received from CATC and its Bridging the Gap program, from Jobs for Cincinnati Grads, and from other support services that she labels “Team Cincinnati.”  That said, she knows just how much she has contributed to her own success, and it’s a nice feeling.

• Jake T.

“I had always been the teenager who didn’t care. Then I came to CATC and everything started falling into place.”

– Jake T., CATC graduate 2008

It was a click of the camera that set it all in motion. Jake was taking pictures in the park, looking for inspiration. “I wanted to make a piece like no one else had ever done,” he says, and the lines of a park bench caught his eye.

Back in the CATC digital multimedia studio, he saw that it was a beautiful composition and began embellishing it with color and other techniques he’d learned at CATC. “As I started changing it, it was amazing,” recalls Jake, who turned the park bench photo into a beautiful, painterly work of art.

The piece was purchased at the next student art show by Lee Carter, chairman of the CATC board of directors, who then gave it to William Cardin, the director of the Cincinnati Park Board!
Mr. Cardin was impressed; so much so that he took Jake under his wing that summer, hiring him to do some photography, inviting him to meetings and golf games, introducing him around.

“I never thought that taking this photo would result in the opportunity to work for the Cincinnati Park Board doing photography!” says, Jake, commenting that he loved the park board and the people who work there. It was also a huge growth experience for Jake, who had always been shy and, before CATC, says he didn’t care much about anything.

In fact, when Jake became a father at age 17, people had started saying he would never make it, despite having done OK academically.  “I was worried, but I was so determined to graduate and show them,” he reports. He needed an art credit to graduate and came to CATC, though at first he didn’t really want to be there, didn’t think art could ever get him anywhere.

“I was never a big artsy person,” Jake says. “Then, being at CATC, I fell in love with digital multi-media, and saw that this program could put me somewhere in life.” Jake’s newly discovered passion sent him, camera in hand, on his own creative excursions, like the one to the park. That led to led to the park bench photo, which led to selling his art, which led to the summer job with the Cincinnati Park Board and exposure to so many new people and experiences.

With his new-found courage and confidence, Jake took the art portfolio he’d started at CATC to a local photography studio-and landed a job there. So now he’s not only making a living, but doing so in a field he loves.
Jake marvels at how one little thing can lead to another in life, if you find something you love and take some risks.  “When people ask me how I learned to do the things I’m doing now, I say ‘at CATC.’  That’s where I fell in love with art, that’s where it all started.”

• Derrick G.

“I failed several times and thought I was too old to stay in school.  I learned anything is possible; if you want it enough, you can have it.

– Derrick G., CATC graduate, 2012

No one knew that Derrick was spending his days in the library doing “stupid stuff” like watching football on the computer, instead of going to school. He had to repeat his freshman year and had switched to Virtual High School. He chose the computer-based, self-paced classes over a school most of the neighborhood kids went to, where he saw too much violence. At Virtual, he’d gotten A’s and B’s and progressed to sophomore year. But he got off track again and just missed earning enough credits to become a junior. He was already 19.

“I thought I was too old to stay in high school and too old to graduate.”Nobody else in his family had graduated from high school, either – not his parents, or his three older siblings. His mom had always urged him to do better, though. He didn’t want to disappoint her but every missed school day brought him closer to giving up.

Things came to a head when he finally showed up at Virtual and was sent to the principal, who told him that since he’d been “playing around the whole year,” he might as well forget about a diploma and start working on his GED.

That was the moment of truth. Derrick sees a lot of smart people on the streets, not doing anything with their ability. “The way I was headed was to no future; I didn’t want my mind to go to waste.” He was in tears then, right in front of classmates. “I said ‘I don’t want a GED, I want a diploma.’”

Derrick was given one more chance, and his renewed efforts included going to CATC for some of the credits he needed to graduate. He had always been good at drawing but also received other, unexpected support.  Mr. Mike M. encouraged his drawing and also set an example by always doing what he said he would do.  Ms. Laura helped him keep his credits on track. Both Mr. Mike and Ms. Laura helped him to open up and become less shy, and to talk about things going on in his life.

Derrick also entered Bridging the Gap, the CATC workforce development program that helps urban teens by teaching life skills and job training. He has a nice job at Kroger, he says, but the training he has received will make him a better employee and a more capable person in all walks of life.

Derrick, now 20, graduated in February and will attend a diploma ceremony at the end of May. His mother, who always told Derrick to never settle for less, will be the first one there, says Derrick. “She and my dad are proud of me.” He is buying a car and expects to start classes at Cincinnati State in the fall.  “I’m happy,” he says, with a big smile to prove it. “I failed several times, but still graduated. I learned that anything is possible.  If you want it enough, you can have it.”

 

• James A.

 ”I love school and kept going even though I knew they’d find me there and arrest me.”

– — James A, CATC student, to graduate 2012


Something in James Adams keeps him going. Things were bad at home so he was sent to live with his grandparents. “They took care of me,” he reflects. “They made sure I went to school every day and was in bed by 9 o’clock. They taught me to treat women with respect.”

But James was only 13 then, and didn’t know what he had. “I got into bad stuff so they sent me back to my mama.” He ran away again and again and, bad as that was, he thinks it’s what ultimately saved him. His mother put out a warrant for his arrest. He and two friends turned a garage into an apartment with mattresses and a grill. He kept going to school, even though he knew the police would eventually find him there. They did, and locked him up. When his mom didn’t show up for court dates, he was sent to a foster home.

“My foster mom was on me to get a job, so I worked at McDonald’s. I didn’t want to sell drugs.” He was still immature and unfocused though, and the job ended. Eventually, authorities arranged for James, still a teenager, to live independently. “I couldn’t believe I had my own apartment,” he says. An aunt arranged for him to work at a restaurant, where the lessons from his grandparents began to kick in. “I’m a hard worker. I show up on time every day and never call in sick.” He’s getting assistance with expenses while he’s in school but will have to make it on his own once he graduates. So his case worker showed him how to put his pay in a bank account.

As if he didn’t have enough on his plate, James started going to CATC. He needed an additional half credit to graduate, plus he says he had no activities at school: “I didn’t want a boring senior year.” He also started life skills and career training through Bridging the Gap.  Recently, James was shot in the finger by a random bullet. That added physical therapy to his schedule, but he’s sticking with Bridging the Gap. “I’m taking advantage of all the open doors. Nothing’s going to hold me back.” He continues going the extra yard at work, too. Dish loaders have assigned stations but he always looks around and helps his co-workers when he sees they need assistance.

One day at CATC, James was talking with Ms. Laura and a counselor, Ms. Debbie. They asked questions and he began to tell his story. They listened for a whole session. “They found me interesting,” he marvels, “they were just glued. They said I was a good kid, had been through a lot and deserve independent living and a good job. Nobody ever told me that. It really touched me.”

James graduates in May, will start at Cincinnati State, then to the University of Cincinnati for his bachelor’s and eventually a master’s degree. Economics is his favorite course and he plans someday to own his own business.  “If I want something now, I’m always thinking ahead to my next move.”

James knows things could have turned out differently. “I could be in jail somewhere, or dead.” The friends he shared the garage apartment with?  One is in jail and the other, he says, “who knows?”

• Robin B.

“It made me angry if it wasn’t right; I wanted to push it aside. Mr. Steve and Ms. Laura said ‘no, you have to finish what you start.’”

– Robin B., CATC graduate, 2012

Robin likes art and wanted to come to CATC even before she knew she could earn badly needed credits. She was especially pleased to discover that the program is challenging. “I love a challenge, I like to excel. The second day, Ms. Laura sat me down and told me how many drawings I had to do-and not just some little doodle, you really had to think about what you were drawing.”

Still, Robin was generally angry and unhappy when she started at CATC. In freshman year, she’d been beaten up by five girls and one thing had led to another. A random search at school uncovered the razor she’d begun carrying for protection. She was ousted from CPS and sent to live with her dad in Arizona for a year, where she did well in school. That’s why she was angry when she returned to Ohio and was told that most of those credits wouldn’t count.  She’d have to repeat the year. Robin began skipping classes, got behind by almost a year and in trouble for truancy.

When she learned that she couldn’t come to CATC if she weren’t also attending regular classes, CATC became Robin’s motivation to stay in school. It was fun and challenging, but soon she noticed more: at CATC she also was getting focused guidance from some caring adults. It was badly needed.

Robin grew up as one of six kids with a single mom, so at age 10 Robin began helping to care for her younger siblings. An older sister was kicked out at age 17 and Robin moved in with her recently. An older brother is in prison. Her younger siblings, still with her mom, are doing OK, and Robin likes to think the care she’s helped to provide all these years has something to do with it. But it wasn’t easy.

Then, with all that happened at school, it was hard not to be angry–and impatient, too. Robin observes “when you do stuff by hand and from scratch, things can go wrong.” At CATC, she wasn’t allowed to abandon a project just because she’d reached an impasse.  “Mr. Steve and Ms. Laura said ‘no, you have to finish it.’ I had to sit there and think about what to do, how to break it down and put it back together.”It worked, though, and she learned to take the time to find new approaches.

Ms. Laura meets with Robin regularly to help keep things on track. Robin confesses that she was angry with the world when she came to CATC and, often, rude. “My family says I’m more patient, and at work now, I follow the boss’ rules.” Robin is teaching art to her sisters and brother–and patience, too.”In the past, I wouldn’t sit and listen, not zone out, give comments and understand.” Now she’s helping her mom with problem-solving “and I’m like a therapist to my friends.”

Robin plans to be an air force pilot and knows she can create the future she wants. “If it weren’t for CATC, I’d still be in 10th grade,” she says. She’s almost completed her junior year, so for now she’ll continue learning at school and at CATC, and spreading her new-found wisdom and maturity.