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A Turnaround Honor
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Published: March 28, 2008
NEW PORT RICHEY - The fact 10-year-old Lexie Marshall assists a first-grader with his reading lessons in itself might not be remarkable.
But Lexie isn't the typical older student tutoring a younger one.
She, too, has struggled with reading, so much so that she failed the FCAT reading exam in third grade.
Her story didn't end there, though. Lexie, with some assistance from her Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor Sarah Robinson, has turned things around. She attends two reading classes after school. Her Lexile score, which is used to measure reading ability, has risen from 476 to 638, putting her within the typical range for her age.
This week, Lexie was one of four students honored by the Pasco County Juvenile Justice Council with one of its Turnaround Awards, which go to young people who have made a positive change in their schoolwork or behavior despite facing significant risk factors.
The other three recipients were Ashley Try, 12; Brittany Auslander, 16; and Elysia James, 15.
Lexie and Ashley were recommended for the Turnaround Awards by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. Brittany and Elysia were recommended by the PACE Center for Girls.
The four were recognized Wednesday in a Juvenile Justice Council ceremony at Calvary Chapel in New Port Richey.
Tim Niermann, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice's chief probation officer in Pasco and Pinellas counties, served as keynote speaker and said the students will find that staying turned around won't always be easy.
When they feel themselves slipping into old habits, Niermann said, they will need to decide what kind of person they want to be and renew their efforts to get good grades and stay on a positive track.
"You can do it or you would not be here today," he said.
Like Lexie, Ashley has struggled to maintain good grades, but her Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor, Judy Dickerson, has spent time with her talking about the importance of school.
The organization reports that Ashley still has ups and downs, but has made honor roll this year.
Ashley also has worked to overcome her shyness. She moved from Pasco County to Pinellas County and recently made the cheerleading team at Dunedin Middle School.
Dickerson continues to mentor Ashley, even though the distance means they can't get together as often.
"I wasn't going to give her up," Dickerson said. "This girl has potential."
Danelle Chase, a PACE counselor, said Elysia used to be shy and withdrawn and didn't allow people to get too close to her. Now her peers describe her as "always smiling," and she's willing to ask for help when she needs it.
Elysia said she's glad she went to PACE.
"They gave me lots of opportunities," she said. "They seek out the positive in you. They reward you for that positivity."
About 40 students in Pasco are enrolled in PACE, a delinquency prevention program that serves girls who are identified as dependent, truant, runaway, delinquent or in need of academic skills. The agency accepts girls ages 12 to 18, though it's unusual for an 18-year-old to attend, said Danielle Taylor-Fagan, executive director for PACE.
PACE stands for Practical Academic Cultural Education.
Brittany, the other PACE student, used to skip school and avoid dealing with other students and teachers. Now her grades have improved, and she wants to attend college.
She, too, is happy with her PACE experience.
"It's just pretty much like a family," Brittany said. "They praise you for everything you do right. They try to fix what isn't oh-so-wonderful."
Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.
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