Jimmy comes from a single family home in which his grandmother is the sole caregiver. Jimmy is an absolutely amazing kid who simply lacks the resources for success that many of his peers are fortunate enough to have. His grandmother is unable to transport Jimmy to Horizons so another family from our program volunteers to drive him each morning and afternoon. Jimmy does not leave his house much other than school and his limited resources have also led to some struggles in school. When Jimmy entered Horizons this summer, he pre-tested on Star Early Literacy with a score of 418 – this is a 0.2 grade equivalency. He struggled with alphabet recognition, early numeracy and many phonic abilities. Jimmy also had never been near a pool and thus, on his first day of swimming, his fear set in.
Through all this, Jimmy fell in love with Horizons. He worked harder than most of his other Horizons classmates and his courage showcased in the pool as, by the end of the first day of swimming, he overcame his fears and jumped in. By the end of the summer, he was fearless in the pool and increased his Star Early Literacy score to a 560 – a 0.9 grade equivalency!
Jimmy is the true meaning of what Horizons is trying to accomplish. His life – and his grandmother’s – has been forever changed in these six weeks.
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