It is always quite refreshing and inspirational to hear motivational stories from people in Baltimore. As a local in the city, it makes me feel inspired and become a better person overall after hearing their awesome testimonies and reading their stories online. There are lots of motivational people and stories in Baltimore that every local (even tourists) must read and hear.
Andrew Dunn of The Baltimore Sun featured one of the more popular motivational stories in Baltimore; the story of Pamela Robinson. She was a long time Baltimore resident who pursued her dream of getting a diploma at such an old age. Read more of her awesome success story here.
Former High School Dropouts Get Diplomas and Second Chances as Adults
Image Source: The Baltimore Sun
Pamela Robinson finally got closure. After decades of setting aside her own ambitions to support those of her children, the 62-year-old fulfilled a longtime aspiration when she received her high school diploma last week.
The lifelong Baltimore resident shed more than 40 years of regret over not completing her schooling and basked in the applause and cheers of family and friends at a festive graduation ceremony at the American Visionary Art Museum.
“I just wanted my diploma, whether I get a job or not, just for myself,” she said. “Just to complete something,”
Robinson was one of 35 graduates who finished their high school education through the nonprofit South Baltimore Learning Center. The graduates either passed the General Educational Development (GED) exam, or completed the National External Diploma Program (NEDP), earning them a Maryland high school diploma.
“A lot of people don’t live to see my age and haven’t completed anything, or some people live to see longer and never complete anything, but at least I have completed something,” she said.
The themes of fulfillment and second chances loomed large at the ceremony — among the graduates as well as their supporters.
“I’m so proud of her,” said Dometrices Clinton, 36, Robinson’s son. He described how he and his sister took turns driving their mother to and from school.
“We supported her and made sure everything is right so she can have this graduation,” he said.
Robinson, a mother of four, left high school after she got pregnant in 10th grade. She always wanted to return to school but ended up working as a laundry attendant for 20 years until the job became too physically taxing. She now has five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
This year the learning center celebrated its 25th anniversary of helping Baltimoreans get back on an education track. More than 90 percent of the students they serve have incomes at or below the federal poverty level, according to center administrators. The center’s programs reach more than 1,000 adults per year, said Annmarie Westerfield, the nonprofit’s executive director.
“They have children, they have jobs, they have lives, and they are still showing up everyday working on getting that degree,” she said. “It’s inspiring to see them.”
Westerfield said although the students faced barriers earlier in their lives that caused them to drop out, their diplomas represent not just overcoming those barriers but opening new avenues for career opportunities and higher education. See full post here…
It is always not too late to get a diploma in school. Age is definitely not a factor. We know for a fact there are sacrifices we must make in our lives for others. But pursuing our very own dream of finishing school is not a bad idea either. It was a very motivational story indeed.
South Baltimore Learning Works also shared one of their colleague’s motivational stories that will surely touch your hearts. Let’s hear the story of Alejandra Canales.
Success Stories
Alejandra Canales
Alejandra Canales is SBLC’s first learner to belong to two different graduation classes. Alejandra earned her high school diploma in 2013, but was diagnosed with cancer and could not make it to her ceremony. However, when she recovered in 2015, SBLC staff reached out to her and invited her to participate in that year’s graduation ceremony. “I was really touched by that act of kindness,” she shares.
When Alejandra was young, her family fled from violence in Nicaragua and immigrated to the U.S. to find better jobs, eventually gaining her U.S. citizenship in 1982. She originally enrolled in classes at SBLC in 2005, but had to take a break to take care of her sick mother.
Alejandra returned to SBLC in 2011 with renewed determination. While at SBLC she had an instructor encourage learners to “find their passion.” She says he helped her discover that she really likes math. “You learn things about yourself,” she shares. “It makes you feel stronger and more successful.”
Alejandra works in the housekeeping department at St. Agnes Hospital. Now that she is healthy again, she plans on enrolling at Community College of Baltimore County. She wants to improve her English and take computer science classes to follow her passion for math and gain better employment. Learn more here.
After experiencing so much chaos in life, its really inspirational to know that she used her experience to strive harder. There are also those significant people in Baltimore who helped a lot in shaping the city’s future. and Jess Mayhugh has profiled a couple of them in his article at Baltimore Magazine. Let’s meet a few of them and their motivational stories and contributions.
Bringing manufacturing into the digital age
Param Shah, 22 Co-founder and CEO, Fusiform and FactoryFour
While most of us were perfecting our beer-pong shot during freshman year, Johns Hopkins University student Param Shah was founding startup Fusiform. The company modernizes a decades-old orthopaedic workflow by replacing a multi-hour-long hand-casting process with a 10-minute 3-D scan. Now the technology is used in multiple clinics, and Shah and his business partner, Alex Mathews, run a team of nearly 20 employees. More recently, the pair founded FactoryFour to bring that kind of production efficiency to other industries, such as eyewear and footwear. With the support of places like Emerging Technology Centers, TEDCO, and the Abell Foundation, Shah was able to move his company out of Impact Hub and into permanent offices in Mt. Vernon.
Conserving energy to help communities
Dana Stein, 59 Executive director, Civic Works
For 25 years, Dana Stein has been marshaling the do-gooding foot soldiers in Civic Works as they make “tangible community improvements” throughout Baltimore. Often referred to as “an urban Peace Corps,” the nonprofit’s many programs—ranging from urban farming to home repairs for low-income residents and seniors—support six objectives: education, career training, healthy food access, energy conservation, community revitalization, and safe and affordable housing. As founder and executive director, Stein—a former corporate and trade attorney who grew up in Baltimore County and attended Milford Mill High School—has seen the nonprofit expand to command an annual budget of $10 million and employ 100. Many more than that are engaged as volunteers, and Civic Works’ Baltimore Center For Green Careers has produced 580 graduates since 2002. For the future, Stein is particularly enthusiastic about Civic Work’s Tiny House program, which he thinks could be “part of the [city’s] solution to homelessness.”
Establishing a modern and giving town square
Liz Vayda, 31 Owner, B. Willow
Liz Vayda is bringing life into the newly developed Remington community, and we’re not just talking about her beautiful plant shop, B. Willow. Nearly two years ago, she launched For the Greater Goods, a craft market designed to give small businesses and artists in the area a space to sell their goods, all while donating portions of all booth fees to local charities. “I want to revive the notion of the commons or the town square,” says Vayda. “I like to think about how, in some way, this is stimulating our local economy and giving Remington another attribute that is different from the new development. This creates a sense of pride for small-business owners.”
Baltimore locals must be very lucky to have such marvelous people that can be your ultimate source of inspiration and motivation to keep you going in your life. There are lots of heroes and visionaries around us. Stay motivated and inspired by their life stories. Want to share your success and motivational story? We might be of good help to you to be heard.
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Param Shah, 22
Dana Stein, 59
Liz Vayda, 31