Worthing HS students Shayla Tibbs, who serves as senior class president, and Javan Hamilton, who serves as GIVE club vice president, pose with U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore at the induction ceremony held January 13.
High schools take part in food drive, film screening, swearing-in ceremonies to honor MLK Jr.
January 19, 2012
Campuses across the Houston Independent School District have been honoring the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. this month by "keeping the dream alive" through a variety of activities.
Students at Carnegie, Madison, and Worthing high schools, for instance, collected more than 1,000 pounds of canned goods during a week-long food drive in early January called "Feed the Dream." The food will be donated to the P.U.S.H to W.I.N. outreach program and the East Harris County Empowerment Council for distribution.
On January 12, members of Worthing's Legacy program sponsored two viewings of Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech for other students, which were followed by group discussions.
Finally, "keeping the dream alive" was the theme of a special ceremony held on January 13 to officially welcome new members of both the GIVE club (Grad Lab Students Involved in Volunteer Service) and the Legacy program at various campuses. U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore inducted new members into both clubs from Furr, Sterling, and Worthing high schools at the U.S. courthouse.
Senior Tanisha Manning, who serves as president of both the Legacy and the GIVE clubs at Worthing, said she found the induction ceremony inspiring.
"This is what so many people fought for," she said. "This is what it's all about. Judge Gilmore is living my dream. And all I kept thinking watching her was, 'Wow, that can be me. If she can do it, I can do it, too.'"
The GIVE club is active at several campuses with Grad Labs. Its purpose is to promote student participation in volunteer activities, and to develop character, leadership, and individual responsibility. The Legacy Program was created to nourish the growth and enhance the reputation of Worthing High School by empowering its students and exposing them to the world beyond their community.
