“Without the Mann Scholars Program, I wouldn’t be here today.”
That was the all-too-common – sometimes very emotional – quote from Mann Scholar graduates and Mann Scholar family members as they convened to celebrate 20 years of the Mann Scholars Program providing important mentoring and educational tools to students from the Madison Metropolitan School District who show potential for academic achievement but face significant challenges to reaching their full potential. The celebration at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Town Center on the UW-Madison campus June 2 was also a chance to welcome four new students to their program.
“We’ve had 50 graduates come through the program, which currently has a 98 percent graduation rate,” said Mark Richardson, co-chair of the Mann Educational Opportunity Fund, who served as emcee for the event. “Aside from the people and the scholars that come through this program, what makes it awesome is its unique design – there’s nothing else like it – and the committed staff and the robust relationships we have with our partners.”
Mann Scholars are awarded an annual scholarship for each year of high school that can be used for academic support needs which may include one-on-one tutoring, a home computer, athletic and extracurricular activity fees or the cost of career exploration and college applications. The program thrives on the full participation of each Mann Scholar, their family, community volunteers and the support of staff at each high school.
“Some of these past Mann Scholars that I have mentioned has gone on to get associate degrees, many have gone on to earn their bachelor’s degrees,” Richardson says. “There’s a group that went on to earn their master’s degrees and there is one individual who is working on their doctorate right now. All of that from the alumni of this program.
“And you scholars in the audience today … you will be right behind them and keep this ball rolling,” he added. “It all wouldn’t be possible without Bernard and Kathlyn Mann and their five wonderful children.”
The Mann Scholars program is a partnership between the Madison Metropolitan School District, the Madison Community Foundation and the Mann Educational Opportunity Fund. It was started to honor the late Bernard and Kathlyn Mann, long-time Madison African-American parents and strong advocates for high-quality and equitable educational opportunities for all students enrolled in MMSD.
Alex Fralin, MMSD Chief of Schools for Secondary Education, gave the welcome at the annual Mann Scholars Celebration event.
“I am always honored to be here and I try not to miss this event because it means a lot to me, not just because of the students that we honor but because of the genesis of this program,” Fralin said. “I want to first congratulate Elijah, Symone, Simeon, and Narik for earning your high school diploma which you will be receiving next weekend. I want to stress the word ‘earn’ because you worked very hard to get here. You made some key decisions and choices and you made some sacrifices to ensure that you were on a trajectory for success. And I want to thank you for being an incredible role model.”
Fralin told the new Mann Scholars, middle school students at the event who were accepted into the program, that he could not wait to see them go through their four years of high school and get ready for college.
“We recognize these scholars tonight through the lens and experience of Bernard and Kathlyn Mann. We oftentimes have to pause to recognize those who have gone before us,” Fralin said. “I think we have to recognize the [Mann] children of these incredible warriors for equity who take the time and create the system to ensure that our students are not only ready for graduation but are actually thriving after they graduate.
“At MMDS we are thankful for this partnership and the support they give our students,” he added.
Lori Mann-Carey, co-chair of the Mann Educational Opportunity Fund, said that each year 12 Madison Metropolitan School District middle schools submist nominations of one eighth-grade student to be considered as a Mann Scholar.
“We are looking for a student who has demonstrated a commitment to their academic studies in middle school with consistent grades and attendance,” she told the crowd. “We are looking for a student who has shared their personal talents by being involved in their school, their community, and extra-curricular activities. We want a student who has a dream of attending college and may be the first in their family to do so. We are looking for a family who would like to work with our program over the next four years to make that dream a reality.”
The new 2017 Mann Scholars were announced by Mann-Carey with the help of former Mann Scholar graduate Jon Wade. They included Ke’Sean Homesly of Wright Middle School, Calise Howard of Whitehorse Middle School, Travona Jordan of Toki Middle School and Tyrone Stevenson of Badger Rock Middle School.
Mann Scholars Program Coordinator Amy Jo Wallace and assistant Pahoua Thao, a 2003 Mann Scholar graduate, introduced the 2017 Mann Graduates that included Elijah Anderson-Fountain of LaFollette High School, Symone Booker of East High, James Horton of Memorial, Simeon Parker of West High and Narik Riak of La Follette.
“The last two years have definitely been challenging for me but the Mann Foundation has been here for me to help me work and Amy has been here right by my side,” Anderson-Fountain told the crowd. “It’s been a humbling experience and I am very grateful and appreciate it. High school is a roller coaster; it doesn’t come easy. But it starts with a dream to go to college.”
Anderson-Fountain said his goal for next year was to attend the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to study marine biology and be a physician’s assistant.
Brittany McNeil, a graduate of La Follette High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Mankato with a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders, gave her Mann Scholar Reflections.
“If you look around the room today, everybody has failed at something, everybody has succeeded at something,” she told the new Mann Scholars and the crowd at the event. “Both failures and successes has gotten everybody here today for one reason: and that’s for you. Being successful should be measured as a purpose.”
McNeil studied Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Mankato State University and graduated last year with a degree in communication disorders, which is a program that explores ways to recognize, treat and prevent speech, hearing and language development problems.
“College is both time and money and neither should be wasted, even if you can. I learned that the hard way,” McNeil said. “But I was able to grow up and learn things about myself. I became mentally smarter and stronger. I made a lot of sacrifices to meet my goal of graduation including missing out on holiday celebrations and loss of friends. But I did what I had to do to graduate.
“If you find yourself being the smartest person in the room, go to another room,” she added. “You should never limit yourself. College is what you make of it. You can go on and become great, or you can go and waste your time. But I wouldn’t change my struggle because it gave me my hustle.”
