July 21, 2020

High School Student Follows Through on Volunteer Commitment

Welcome back to the POP QUIZ! This is a regular, yet totally unexpected, feature where we ask students, parents, staff, our friends, and partners to answer a few questions about what they are learning, reading, and thinking about. Today we feature Kohler Briggs. Kohler will be a senior this fall at Loy Norrix High School and Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center.

This past spring, Kohler reached out to Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo to see if there was a project he could help with, as part of his volunteer work with the National Honor Society. Since launching Ask Me About My 12,000 Kids in August of 2012, we’ve racked up hundreds of posts. We wondered if Kohler could use his organizational and technical skills to create one document that could systematically capture all the posts published in Ask Me About My 12,000 Kids. We were ecstatic when Kohler agreed to help us.

A month into the project, the pandemic struck and school buildings physically closed. Despite these challenges, Kohler continued to work on the project. He recently provided us with an 18-page document that will allow us to easily access past posts. This archived information holds a wealth of information, from students overcoming obstacles to succeed in school, to the school and community members who volunteer and partner with CIS to support our 12,000+ kids, to innovative programming making a difference for students, and much more. We are so grateful to Kohler for sharing his time and talents with us!

Alright, Kohler: pencil out, eyes on your own paper. Good luck.

Pop Quiz

You went through and chronologically organized and hyperlinked almost nine years of blog posts for Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo. [At the bottom of this post is an example of the work Kohler did for us.] Thanks to you, we now have hundreds of blog posts at our fingertips. What did you get out of doing this project?

I loved learning about the variety of different ways CIS assist students and families in our schools. I also loved learning about the many individuals, including teachers and other students, that are working to improve our communities both inside and outside of school.

The pandemic disrupted school and life. How have you been holding up? What was your experience of doing distance learning?

I am doing well, but I was extremely busy during distance learning. I missed seeing all my classmates and teachers and missed receiving in-person instruction. I did like how I was able to learn at my own pace and had the time to give extra attention to subject areas that needed it.

In navigating these challenging times, what have you learned about yourself?

I have learned that it is very important for me to take breaks while working. When we were still doing in-person classes, I never had much time to step away from my work. When I had more opportunities to take a bit of time off during online school, I found that I was much less stressed and more productive when I returned to working.

With summer upon us, what are you currently reading?

I am about to start reading Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Xendi.

What is one of your favorite school subjects?

I love almost anything involving science, especially dealing with the environment.

We know there are probably many, but can you share with us one teacher who has inspired/influenced you throughout your years with Kalamazoo Public Schools?

This year, I took AP Language and Composition with Ms. [Brianna] English at Loy Norrix. Ms. English did a great job with helping me improve my writing skills.

Behind every successful student is a caring adult. Who has been one of your caring adults?

The most important caring adults in my life are my parents. They are always open to questions and support for my academic endeavors.

Thank you, Kohler, for hanging out with us at Ask Me About My 12,000 Kids.

Here’s an example of Kohler’s work. If you missed any of these posts, you can easily access them by clicking on the titles he has hyperlinked to the published post.

2020 Posts

June 9 Jerrell Amos: Learning to Adjust When Life Throws a Curve Ball

June 2 In Schools, and Now Beyond

May 19 Nazlhy Heredia-Waltemyer: Finding Ways to Connect With Students During Time of Physical Distancing

May 12 CIS Supporting Students Through This Pandemic

May 5 #GivingTuesdayNow – Together We…

April 21 Take Care of Yourself and Read

April 15 Celebrating Our Community of Support

March 31 Connectedness During a Time of Social Distancing

March 24 The Community is Here With You

March 17 A Time to Read

March 10 Catching Up With Elissa Kerr: One Sweet Conversation