Northside Scholar Graduates, Paving the Way for A Bright Future
Marvion joined Anastasia’s family as a foster child just before entering high school. He had lost meaningful family stability as a young child when his father was killed through gun violence, and his biological mother was not a consistent presence in his life. When he moved in with Anastasia, he was at a low point in terms of self esteem, and academics were not even on his radar.
At home and at school, Marvion struggled. He had a hard time following new rules, and sometimes stayed out all night, sleeping in cars and not communicating his whereabouts. “I was doing a lot of stuff that’s not supposed to be happening at all,” recalled Marvion, when asked about that time in his life. “Before NAZ, I was definitely falling real hard.”
His Family Achievement Coach, Percy, is located at Patrick Henry High School, and worked with Marvion. “I met him when he was in a kind of lost stage as far as what he wanted to do - he was hanging with the wrong crowd, and he was making bad choices - sleeping in cars, not coming to school, hanging out with the wrong peers, and getting into trouble.” Percy partnered with Anastasia’s NAZ coach, Amina, to help stabilize Marvion’s behavior and create a sense of belonging with her family.
“Marvion experienced a lot of rejection in his previous home, and Anastasia really built a good relationship with him as an active parent,” said Amina. Percy and Amina coached him through the despair he felt around feeling successful in a school setting. “The shift in his perspective really came from me setting up a scholar-support meeting, so he was able to know - ‘Is there a possibility I can come back from where I’ve fallen?” said Amina. Percy played a significant role as well, serving as a Black male role model.
Together, Percy and Amina partnered with both Anastasia and Marvion to get Marvion back on track as a teen and a scholar. With one-on-one attention and wraparound support, by his senior year Marvion was a standout scholar at the school, well-liked by students and staff. “From when I first got him, from now, there’s been a whole change.” Anastasia said.
Today Marvion is a college student who still receives significant love and support from Anastasia and her family. He has so much to be proud of - and so much to look forward to.
