I enjoy writing, but rarely have the time to do so. However, this story is so important and brings me so much joy that I wanted to share it, so I made time.

This is the story of a former student, Azeez. I have his permission to use his name, and I trust you will remember it. Azeez and his brother were referred to CFS in 2022 by a former parent. His busy single mom provided general information about both sons and then decided to move forward with our services during our very first conversation. Mom was particularly concerned about Azeez because he had a 2.0 GPA.

Did his GPA concern me? Yes!

However, I made it clear to Mom that if, after meeting with Azeez, I didn’t think I could help get him admitted to college, I would return her deposit and terminate our agreement. To say that Azeez was unhappy to be working with CFS would be an understatement. Per mom, at first, he asked her after every meeting if he could stop working with CFS. And while mom had her own doubts about his being accepted to college, she made it known to Azeez that discontinuing our relationship was not up to him. I love her for this!

Then, I read the following from Azeez’s Common App Personal Statement, and the obstinance and grades began to make more sense: “Basketball has always been my way of expressing myself, and it’s been an outlet for me since I started playing. Once I start playing, it’s like I never want to stop. When my father passed away when I was thirteen, I didn’t feel like I could speak to anyone about it because I thought nobody could understand what it was like to lose a parent as young as I did. When he passed, I would go outside and shoot the ball for hours, just me and my thoughts, and I would think about all the times my dad and I spent together, and it was just the way I would cope when I started thinking about him.”

My observations were that not only was Azeez allowing himself to be vulnerable, but his writing was not that of a student with a 2.0 GPA. In fact, his writing was better than that of many other CFS students, all of whom had higher GPAs. More importantly, his Personal Statement revealed to me that Azeez was grieving and that there was much more depth to this young man than his high school transcript divulged. While I wish I could say that Azeez’s grades improved significantly during our time working together, that is not how this story ends; his new beginning is much better.

Azeez was accepted to the schools listed below, but his first choice, Fayetteville State, did not accept him. A close second was South Carolina State, where he was accepted, but his mom, understandably, was unwilling to sacrifice by paying more for out-of-state tuition. So, they decided on Albany State in Albany, Georgia. Mom informed Azeez that she was willing to pay semester by semester, if and only if he earned at least a 3.0 GPA. Guess what? He did!

Did Azeez love Albany State? The answer is a resounding NO! So, after completing his first three semesters there, he decided to apply as a transfer student this past spring to 3 other Georgia universities – Augusta State University, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia (UGA). And he was admitted to all 3!!!

Upon finishing his 4th semester at Albany State, he earned an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in Social Service and has been working in this field for the past several months. This young man, who graduated from high school with a 2.0 GPA, will attend UGA this Fall to complete his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.

Moreover, he is now eligible for the Georgia Hope Scholarship, which will cover 100% of his UGA tuition. The attached pic was taken during a recent visit to the UGA campus, and, per mom, he repeatedly expressed pride that his hard work got him there. So, when I tell you that I’m overjoyed for and proud of this young man, please believe me!!!

1. Albany State University
2. Allen University
3. Benedict College
4. Georgia Gwinnett College
5. Georgia Southwestern State University
6. Jackson State University
7. Miles College
8. Shaw University
9. South Carolina State University
10. University of Toledo
11. Talladega College
12. Voorhees College