Today we shine the spotlight on a student, Semaj Hunter, who shows dedication and passion in what he wanted to do after high school. Semaj was a student who was on Ms. Leigh’s caseload. When we first met him, he was shy and barely came into the classroom. He was respectful of Ms. Leigh and the rest of the team. Once he got comfortable, he came in at least every day and his smile would light up the room. If Semaj doesn’t come in for help with his senior assignments, then he would come in just to check-in on us. The Promise Corps team hosted a Speaker Week event at High School of the Future in January. We had guest speakers from different occupations. Semaj mentioned that he wanted to become a firefighter. We had a firefighter come in to speak to our high schoolers, he participated and asked questions. One day, Semaj came into our classroom and told us that he joined the Firefighter Explorer Post program to prepare to become a firefighter. We were so proud of him because he was following his dreams and taking matters into his own hands. Semaj quickly became a model student for his fellow classmates and was excited to share his post-secondary goals to 10th grade classes.

Another moment was when Ms. Alexis and Ms. Abbey had their own Jobs and Internships module with their 10th-grade students, Semaj was one of the first seniors to volunteer to speak with the younger students. He used his time speaking about his experience and became a model for the Promise Corps duo on the dos and don’ts for job internships and the various professional dress codes. Semaj’s progression throughout the school year was amazing! 

Semaj, thank you for working with Ms. Leigh and the Promise Corps team. We hope that you continue working hard and celebrating your success. 

-Promise Corps Team at School of the Future