Dear Maya Family- Winter 2016
Dear Maya Family: A Letter from the CEO
Last week marked a truly historic snow storm in the D.C. area; the streets of the city were blanketed in several feet of snow, and for at least a few hours, everything seemed to stand still. Yet behind the scenes, especially here at the Maya Angelou Schools, our students and staff were already shifting into gear for the start of the Spring Semester.
We have much to look forward to this year, and much to celebrate. I am happy to announce the incredible success of last December’s Maya Way event, honoring former Attorney General, Eric Holder. We were able to raise more than $165,000 for our schools, ensuring the continued success of our students through quality education and strong support services. And we were reminded of why we do the work we do – at the event we heard from a former Maya Angelou Academy scholar, Kenneil Cole, who recounted his journey from juvenile delinquency to accomplished college junior.
His story is just one example of why a Maya education matters. Maya offers a uniquely supportive experience for our students, and this spring we hope to expand on the incredible programming we have in place. Take a look inside this newsletter to find out what our students have been up to in enrichment activities like STEM Support, and work-force engagement programs like the Home Builder’s Institute’s pre-apprenticeship certification course.
And lastly, I would like to thank all our donors who have continued to support the Maya Angelou Schools and See Forever Foundation. Whether through our year-end appeal or attending our Maya Way event, you are the reason we can do the work we do. Which is why I am so pleased to announce a new partnership with Amazon Smile, a philanthropic initiative of Amazon, which offers our donors a new (and fun!) way to support the See Forever Foundation and Maya Angelou Schools. Amazon Smile allows you to donate 0.5% of all Amazon purchases to a charity of your choice, and we look forward to initiating this partnership with them. You’ll find complete details on how to use Amazon Smile in our newsletter.
I wish you a warm and happy next few weeks, and look forward to all the exciting adventures 2016 will bring.
Warm Regards,
Heather Wathington