Marshall and Sun Prairie high school students were recognized for their participation in the ‘Root 2 Rise’ program with a banquet and ceremony at Prairie Lanes on Thursday, May 30.
Root 2 Rise, founded in 2017, is a non-profit organization that gives local high schoolers leadership experience by placing them as tutor-mentors in K-8 classrooms for a semester.
Founder Denise Hanson came up with the idea for the program after shifting from being a Spanish teacher into a role on the behavioral team within the Madison Metropolitan School District.
Hanson said that after taking the new role, she realized how many students were falling out of love with school and set herself on a path to re-engage them with learning.
“There were a lot of kids who were bored or just not loving school. They needed something a little more. They needed some leadership, some real life experience... When I founded Root 2 Rise I knew that it would make a difference for lots of students, not just the high school students but the elementary students too,” Hanson said on May 30.
Hanson’s approach emphasizes empowering students by assigning them leadership roles to build self-esteem, which in turn motivates them for their professional futures.
Root 2 Rise participants sign rigorous contracts holding them to high standards within the classrooms they are placed in and time commitments after receiving tutoring and mentoring training.
From there, these students spend time within their designated classes on a scheduled basis. Not only do participants receive academic credit for completing the program, but they also receive a monetary stipend as well.
Those who participated in Root 2 Rise during the 2023-24 school year from The Marshall School District were: Olivia Ackah, Mikail Taylor Alexander, Mayra Vanessa Galan, Fanya Manzano Valencia, Lizet Lopez Montes, Damonya McIntosh, Alexus Palacios and Sorey Urbina.
Sun Prairie Area School District participants included: Isaac Assaba, Jimena Ayala, Dixie Bah, Naidelys Caliz, Josmary Cruz, Halima Darboe, Kendra Jackson, Bryanna Lloyd, Dakota Mitchell, Alyisha Moore, Britany Murillo Rojas, Carol Ramirez, Anna Samb, Mustapha Sambou, Alejandra Soriano, King Stokes, Elizabeth Thao, Devail Washington, Daniel Wilson, Ethan (Kong) Xiong and Michael (Toumuajmoo) Yang.
Several Root 2 Rise students said they came away with a much more defined idea of what they wanted to get out of their futures and their careers.
“This was my second year in Root 2 Rise, and I enjoyed. At first, coming into this program I did not want to be a teacher. I was actually looking at interior design,” Byanna Lloyd said, “But I realized that I’ve always been babysitting or being in day cares, so I feel like I’m fit to be around kids. Being in Root 2 Rise confirmed it for me, so now I’m going to school to become a teacher.”
Other Root 2 Rise students spoke glowingly of the connections fostered with the kids they mentored, as well as what they learned about themselves through the experience.
“I showed up day-in and day-out and I was surprised by how the kids looked up to me and loved me. It’s life changing seeing the impact that you can have on such a young group of kids... Moving forward, after Root 2 Rise I think this program has done a lot for me as a person. I want to take the skills I learned with Root 2 Rise in my future and I want to make more and more of a positive impact in the lives of young ones, not just kids but anyone in general,” said Isaac Assaba.
Those interested in learning more about Root 2 Rise or donating to support the program can visit their website at www.root2rise.org .
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