Howard University Students Skip Spring Break To Mentor In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Sometimes to solve a problem, you need a little help. That's what hundreds of Baltimore City students will get for the next week thanks to a group of Howard University students.
As Gigi Barnett explains, the college students are skipping spring break to do it.
There are no lazy afternoons at the beach in South Florida for 25-year-old Sabrina Scott this week.
The Howard University doctoral student is skipping spring break and went to classes at the Baltimore Liberation Diploma Plus High School in Northwest Baltimore.
"Just thinking about how many of the students may not have someone at home to sit down with them and go over things. So, just a week makes a difference," Scott said.
That's what she and the handful of other Howard students want to hear. The program is called Alternative Spring Break.
And, while they tutor non-traditional students who are studying to earn high school diplomas, the goal is to stamp out gangs in Baltimore.
"Baltimore City has, is known for, the gang presence here. So, we knew we needed to come here and see what was going on," Scott said.
Scott's mentee, Marcus Richardson, never received his high school diploma.
After his grandfather's death a few months ago, he decided to finish what he started.
"I was like, 'I know he would be happy if I kept going.' So, I kept going and do what I gotta do," Richardson said.
Now he and his classmates have role models in the Howard students. The friendships and lessons may last beyond an alternative spring break.
"Hopefully, when they do get to college they'll look back and donate their spring break to go and mentor high school students," said Andrew Hairston, site coordinator.
For the first time, the Alternative Spring Break program sent a group of Howard students to Haiti.
