Diving in to a Successful Future
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Transcript of Diving in to a Successful Future
DIVING IN TO A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE
ED
UC
AT
IO
N
2Impact Winter|Spring 2011
“ I decided I want to change the way people
think of [urban minority] men.”
“I was fishing with a friend and I fell in,” he recalls. “I
was scared of the water after that. So my parents and my
counselors at ConnectiKids decided I should learn how
to swim.”
With one new skill mastered, Taurean began to explore
other waters through the summer and after-school
programs at ConnectiKids, a United Way Community
Investment partner that serves elementary school students
in the Asylum Hill and Barry Square neighborhoods of
Hartford.
“One of our goals is to expose the kids to new things,
whether it’s fine and performing arts, swimming, martial
arts, or cooking. But academics comes first,” notes Ricardo
Herrera, ConnectiKids’ former executive director.
ConnectiKids’ tutoring and mentoring programs work
hand-in-hand with neighborhood schools to ensure that
out-of-school time is time well-spent. “When they don’t
have that push from home, we try to be that push,” says
Herrera.
Taurean is fortunate to have a close-knit family –
with four siblings who also attended ConnectiKids.
Still, he says, “I was at a turning point in my life, and
ConnectiKids gave me so many wonderful role models. I
decided I want to change the way people think of [urban
minority] men,” he says.
“I want to become the
best Taurean I can be.”
In his case, that meant a
commitment to art. “I’ve
always loved to draw, so
Ric [Herrera] and the
other staff helped me take
it to the next level. They
made me the editor of
the summer yearbook for
two years in a row. I got
to work with professional
artists,” he recalls.
Taurean has remained involved with the agency ever
since, participating in its alumni program for middle
and high school students and serving as a public speaker
and advocate. Meanwhile, his quest for excellence has
led him from Hartford Public High School to Capital
Community College, then to UConn’s West Hartford
campus and finally to UConn’s Storrs campus, where he
currently studies fine arts.
“I want to keep challenging myself,” he says. “Ric always
told me, ‘You can do it, you can do it.’ And I will.”
Your contributions to United Way Community Investment
support an interconnected web of education, income, health
and safety net services that help our neighbors build a better
life for themselves. That includes after-school and summer
programs that help children and youth develop the skills
for success in school and in life. To learn more, visit
unitedwayinc.org/education.
Impact Winter|Spring 2011 3
3,000 young people improved their academic
skills last year in after-school and summer programs
because you gave to United Way Community Investment.
Because of contributions like
yours to United Way Community
Investment, Taurean Stovall of
Hartford not only finished high
school – today he is a successful
art major at the University of
Connecticut.
TAUREAN STOVALL’S ART CAREER STARTED WITH AN UNPLANNED DIVE INTO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER.