Meet Mikel

A senior in Halifax County, Mikel is an introvert by nature and naturally shied away from the spotlight. He was struggling to find his footing socially and academically until he met his CIS Specialist, Vernon Bryant. Soon, Mikel evolved into a confident young man whose future became brighter each day.

Mikel was never one to speak up in class and that often caused him to miss important information that would allow him to keep up his grades.  He also struggled to connect with his peers, and this left him feeling lonely & unhappy at school.

Vernon got to know Mikel and was able to breakdown these communication barriers. Vernon encouraged Mikel to express himself and provided him the tools and resources to realize his full potential.  Mikel began to speak up more in class and eventually gained the confidence to productively interact with his teachers and his peers.  According to Vernon, “Mikel has bloomed over the year I’ve known him and has come out of his shell.”

“His leadership skills went through the roof!”, Vernon boasted as he watched Mikel lead the team at the school’s African American History Quiz Bowl. Mikel continued to grow and thrive at school, and he’ll be graduating this spring! After graduation, he’ll attend community college for one year; then he’ll transfer to North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University to study Agricultural Science.

Way to go Mikel. We always knew you had it in you to be a big success.