Bright Futures and Its Success Stories Highlighted

Published Friday - February 27, 2009
Bright Futures and Its Success Stories Highlighted
BY MICHAELA SAUNDERS
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Marcus Lowe is back on a positive path - call it an Avenue to success. The 20-year-old who dropped out of high school has earned his equivalency and plans to attend Metropolitan Community College. Then, "I want to be a Husker."

Lowe is one of dozens - even hundreds - of Omaha students who could get where they want to be with the support of the Bright Futures Foundation's Avenue Scholars Program.  The program and its mission of turning around the cycle of poverty and unrealized potential faced by students throughout Douglas and Sarpy Counties were featured at an event Thursday night that drew more than 150 people to Film Streams, 1340 Webster St.

A documentary, "The Academic Achievement Gap: We Do Better When We Know Better," was the main event. Trina Creighton directed the film to earn her master's degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Creighton is a communications consultant for Avenue Scholars and on the journalism faculty at UNL. In the film, Lowe and nine other young black men speak about the challenge of getting out of crime and poverty-stricken neighborhoods in north Omaha to get an education.

Avenue Scholars officials then outlined the mission of their program to support students from high school through college and beyond. "We're not successful until they're in a successful career," said Foundation President Ken Bird.

The effort is the higher education partner to the similarly named Building Bright Futures. In concert, the efforts aim to nudge low-income children from birth to career by increasing access to everything from health care to financial aid.

Lowe said he worked hard in school until circumstances pulled him out of state and back again. He's sure he would have graduated with his class had he enjoyed the type of support the program will offer beginning this fall. And he's confident that the program's tutoring, emotional and other support while he's on Metro's campus and then at UNL will push him just enough.

"That's exactly what we need," he said. "Somebody who wanted me to do it. Somebody who wanted me to get it done."

"Our mission is to provide an avenue of success for Omaha area students of talent and need.  We offer comprehensive support from high school through community college or university graduation, leading to enhanced lives and careers."