THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606140209
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 58 lines
Rachel Nutt missed four straight days of classes at Brandon Middle School a couple of years ago. An eighth-grader then, she wasn't very interested in education, to say the least.
``I was suspended for fighting,'' she said with a contrite smile.
Last Wednesday, Nutt spoke to the approximately 150 graduating fifth-graders at College Park Elementary School, her own alma mater. She told them to avoid the mistakes she made. They need to study hard and stay out of trouble.
Nutt turned the corner by turning her back on violence and paying attention in class. The 16-year-old is now a studious sophomore at Tallwood High School. She made A's and B's all year, ``except for geometry,'' she said.
Nutt not only hits the books for herself, she helps students who are struggling as she once did. Nutt participates in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Helping program at College Park.
Ann Sye, a guidance counselor at College Park, has been the driving force behind the program, which began in 1990. She said about 25 Salem and Tallwood students come to College Park each week to help the elementary students.
``They work with about 50 of our kids at a time,'' she said. ``The tutors are here three or four times a week and provide their own transportation and volunteer on their own time. Some of them even get off the bus and walk quite a distance to help out.''
Sye gave College Park principal Cletus Griffin credit for the positive changes.
``Test scores have gone up. This program has helped students immensely,'' Sye said. ``Mr. Griffin has played a significant role in those improvements.''
Griffin also was self-effacing.
``Without the help of students like Rachel, some of our students would probably ended up being suspended. The tutors are consistent and provide positive role models. Our students pay more attention to someone like Rachel than they do to an adult.''
This year, Nutt worked with Tiffany Wilkins, one of the graduating fifth-graders, from February until the graduation ceremony.
``I was having trouble getting good grades,'' said Tiffany.
Nutt put two fingers to her lips in a shhh! gesture and said Tiffany had to work on some other things, too. Nutt helped her with math, social studies and English.
Tiffany's turnaround seemed to have started.
``I know I have to get good grades to get a job,'' the youngster said.
Frieda North remembered teaching science and math to Nutt at College Park.
``She had potential. I could see that back then,'' North said. ``I knew she could become an excellent student, and she has.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Tiffany Wilkins, left, is a graduating fifth-grader at College Park
Elementary, thanks to help from her tutor, Rachel Nutt, a sophomore
at Tallwood High and a self-professed former troublemaker. by CNB