Brazosport ISD recently hosted the ASCEND Summit, a day-long event designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. The summit, held at the BISD administration building, featured a conference-style agenda with various guest speakers and activities.
Keynote speaker Ty Morrow, BISD Director of Safety, Security and Emergency Management, spoke about the importance of overcoming adversity, setting goals, mentorship, organizational skills, time management, work ethic, dual credit opportunities, and the importance of attitude/mindset. Morrow's message resonated with the students, who rated the experience as EXCELLENT with 60% of students giving it the highest rating.
Other speakers included Zeke Witjen and Richard Sincere, who spoke about character development, being a servant leader, and setting high expectations. Theresa Cravey and Michelle Heredia from ABC Gulf Coast provided tips for job hunting, while Davis Gilbert spoke about prevention strategies and the vaping epidemic. Colleen Knight explained the steps in the College Application Process. To keep things lively and engaging, Melissa Soto had activities and team-building games throughout the day.
In addition to the speakers, there was a Resource Fair, which included ABC Gulf Coast, Brazosport College, and Worksource. BISD Child Nutrition provided a wonderful lunch, while an area business, church and sponsors provided funds for snacks, door prizes, and t-shirts for the students.
ASCEND students were bused from their home campus high schools to the administration building and back for the full day event. Community in Schools Site Coordinators, Davis Gilbert, and the ASCEND Program Leaders provided the volunteer support needed to make the event possible.
"The feedback from students and volunteers was tremendously positive," said Julie Engelking, M.Ed., CTRP-E, BISD’s At-Risk Coordinator. "Feedback from one of our coordinators was that the students talked about it all the way home and shared that they felt lucky to be picked as part of the summit. They even felt bad that the others missed out."
Overall, the ASCEND Summit was a resounding success, providing students with the tools and inspiration they need to achieve their goals and overcome obstacles.
