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Honoring Our Graduates
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High School
 Ms. Teri Gussom
Thank You CAFÉ For Everything!!
I am anxiously preparing to leave from home and move to my new residence at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Va. for the next 4 years where I will major in English to pursue a career in creative writing. Ferrum is a beautiful, scenic small private college (1,200 enrollments) located in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia. As I leave CAFE, I’d like to share with you my thoughts on what this school has meant to me, and what it means to me now.
I have always been involved in the performing arts. My grandmother introduced me to dancing at the age of 3 and I continued studying dance off and on until the age of 11. In summer of 2001, my grandmother enrolled me here at CAFÉ. I enjoyed the program a lot, but returned to dance for summer 2002. When I alternated to CAFÉ in summer 2003, I was hooked!! After that, I said goodbye to dancing because I had found my new passion: the steel pan!!!
I have always been basically a quiet person, and that’s the way I was when I started at CAFÉ. But the moment I arrived, I automatically felt at home! The kids at CAFÉ were so friendly and cool; I never felt “left out”; the teachers were good, patient teachers; Mrs. Burton was a strict program coordinator but she was funny, she stayed on top of everything, and she really knew her job! Mrs. Green made me feel very welcome on my first day and she has always been easy to talk to.
The opportunities that CAFÉ has given me, all the exposure, and the many experiences I have had since becoming a student here are far too many to name. My first time on a plane, thanks to CAFÉ, was when Positive Vibrations went to Northern Illinois University in 2005 to attend a workshop; then to Orlando, Florida where we performed at the Zora Neal Hurston Annual Festival in February 2006; followed by a scholarship I received to attend a very enjoyable workshop for two weeks at the Birch Creek Music Performing Center in Wisconsin (2006); and, of course, our recent trip again to NIU. I am so proud to say that I participated in both steel pan competitions with PV at Virginia Beach (2006 and 2007), where we won the championship both times! But most of all, I can’t believe that in June, I will be flying to St. Kitts!!!! None of this would have ever happened if I had not been smart enough to join CAFÉ!!
What can I say to an academy that helped me to build my self-confidence, that has made me feel special, that has rewarded me for all of my efforts in trying to do my very best? I have received so many wonderful awards and I will keep showing off my trophies no matter how old I get. I was named “Student of The Year” (2005); Top Academic Student” and “Top Music Student” among my peers for two years in a row (2006, 2007); “Most Consistent Student” with the advance band (2007), and other honorable mentions.
CAFÉ, thank you for seeing qualities in me that I didn’t even know I had; thank you for bringing me out of my shyness; thank you for being a very positive and stable phase in my life. You are now part of my personal history. I have learned a lot from you by just observing, listening, and participating. As I move into my adulthood, I will carry with me all of life’s lessons that I learned from my wonderful grandparents, my supportive family and CAFÉ!
Goodbye and God bless you! |
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| Colleges/Universities
 Ms. Travonnie Neblett
For me, CAFE has been a life-altering experience. For weeks I thought it was cute that my roommate (also best friend, Nikita) went for coffee with her dad every Saturday morning. After a brief round of questioning, I found that there were no roasted grounds involved, but instead children in need of tutors. I expressed my interest in joining her and quickly found my passion in life. Spending my Saturdays with my students was definitely challenging. It wasn’t easy holding their attention and helping them to understand how important it was they grasp the fundamental concepts. It was worth it. I lived for the “aha!” moments where it clicked for them. Their eyes lit up and learning was fun. Those became the highlights of my Saturdays. I am grateful to have finally have graduated from Howard University (Summa Cum Laude) with a Bachelors in Business Administration, Marketing. My time at CAFE led me to consider a career in teaching. Post-graduation, I will join Teach for America, which is a national non-profit focused on closing the achievement gap between students in low-income and high-income communities. I am officially a member the 2008 TFA Corps, and in the fall, I will have my own classroom teaching elementary school in Atlanta. Many thanks to everyone at CAFÉ, particularly Mrs. Green and Dr. Briscoe for everything!
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High School
 Ms. Kashanna Fair
The CAFE Experience has been an ideal experience that has allowed me to grow emotionally and musically. I have had [more] experiences than many of my peers in school, not only [from] playing the steel drum but traveling outside the Washington Metropolitan Area, let alone traveling to West Africa. I have gained many friendships through this organization. I would like thank the many musical directors I have had over the last nine years. Thank you for pushing me to become a better person and musician, and really [showing] me discipline. I [also] would like to thank the many tutors who have pushed me academically. Lastly, I would to thank Mrs. Green for having this vision; without yours, many of us would have never found their own. Thank You.
**Kashanna Fair also received a scholarship from the Caribbean Students Scholarship Fund, Inc. (Board of Directors and members of the Working Women's Committee). She is graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Washington D.C and has been accepted into the University of North Carolina Greensboro. We would like to extend our congratulations to Ms. Fair. Good Luck! |
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Colleges/Universities
 Kenya Akila Krys Elder-Toussaint
During her time at CAFÉ, Kenya is most proud of her time spent learning how to read music, her ear training and learning the repertoire of the band in order to move from the intermediate to advance band in a short time.
She is thankful for the opportunity to assist with the little kiddies, percussion class, and the intermediate band. She is also very happy about the amount of new friendships that she was able to develop during her time at CAFÉ and the ability to renew relationships with family.
Being given a chance to speak at the 10th Anniversary Concert after being in the organization for only one month as well as being appointed Chairperson of the Youth Empowerment Program was scary but thrilling.
Kenya graduated from Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, Maryland with a weighted GPA of 4.34 and ranked #1 in her class of 275. She will attend George Washington University this fall, double majoring in Psychology and Business.
Her long-term goals are to obtain her Masters and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and travel the world.
MEMBERSHIPS:
National Honors Society (Nov. 2007- May 2008)
Gifted and Talented Student Leadership Council (Oct. 2007- May 2008)
Vice President of the Black Student Achievement Program (Sept. 2005- May 2008)
AWARDS:
Distinguished Honors Award (2005)
Top 40 Scholars Award (2005)
Academic Award (2006, 2007)
Cultural Academe for Excellence (CAFÉ) Leadership Award 2007
Most Consistent Student, CAFÉ (2007)
2np place - Top Music Student, CAFÉ (2007)
Award for Perfect Attendance (2005, 2006, 2007)
Gold Honor Roll (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Certificate of Academic Excellence (2006)
Award for Participation in Sophomore Scholars (2006)
Student of the Quarter (2006) |
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High School
Mr. Darryl Tibbs
I will be going to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in the fall of 2008.
CAFÉ has been a place where I can grow musically, I feel as though when at CAFÉ I was expected to know the true art of music and not the side that everybody sees in the music industry today. I learned how to be a musician and not just an entertainer. I also learned the difference between the two. A musician plays, lives, breathes, and eats music. It’s something that is always on their mind, when a musician hears a song on the radio they think about how to play the song and in some cases figure out ways to make the song better than it already is. An entertainer is someone who knows a little bit about an instrument and uses that little knowledge to impress those who are musically ignorant. CAFÉ did that, they helped me understand the importance of high quality musicianship and how to develop my love for the art even more than I originally had. Thank you CAFÉ.
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High School
 Ms. Deiona Frenche
Wow!!, I am finally now an alumni of Bishop McNamara High School and graduated to become a freshmen at Grambling State University. These four years of high school have been filled with excitement but looking back on my 11 years in CAFE has been a long journey for me as well. Throughout those 11 years, CAFE has contributed to my life in many ways. During the year of 1997 as a young child I began to play the steel drum at the age of seven. I began to learn how to play the tenor pan with the Rhythm Starters of CAFE. Having two brothers and a sister that played the steeldrum was my motivation to be just as talented as they were. With the help of my mother, she made sure that I was always on top of my game. Every Saturday was always a busy day for her whether if it was track or pan practice. With that said, playing the steel drum may have been the easy part for me but crossing some bumpy roads did appear in my 11 years of CAFE. At a certain point I thought to myself that I didn’t want to be apart of this organization any more. After being out of CAFE for at least a month, Ms. Green gave me the courage to attend CAFE again. Without CAFE I wouldn't have been able to share my talents with many others that surround me. CAFE has provided me with opportunities to go out of the country and to learn about my culture more. Not only has CAFE provided me with that but they have also given their care and love to me. This organization has really influenced me to be the person that I am and that I will be when I leave this group. Leaving the memories and the close friends that I have made may just be something that I will miss but I will always have you guys in my heart! |
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High School
 Mr. Sam Smith
Now I know what I want to do with my life-thanks to CAFÉ. I have been playing drums since I was very young. CAFÉ has given me the opportunity to realize my career as a percussionist. I have been a member of Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra for the past year, learning to play the calypso rhythms was a bit challenging at first, but thanks to Jeremy Caesar, he helped me to learn to play those rhythms. Going to Northern Illinois University in May 2008, was a life changing experience for me. Although I will be attending Bowie State University in the fall, I intend to transfer to Northern Illinois University to pursue an undergrad degree in percussion. While I attend Bowie State, I still intend to continue performing with Positive Vibrations. |
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Administrative Office
Monday - Friday
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
11305 Chantilly Lane
Mitchellville, MD 20721
Office: (301) 262-9032
Fax: (301) 262-0802
lgreen@cafeyouth.org
CAFE Program Site
Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
6201 Belcrest Road
Hyattsville, MD 20782
(across from Prince George’s Plaza metro station)
(301) 927-6133 Ext #26
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