Part 4 | Educational Leadership Series – The Way Bahamas
Marvin was sixteen and already known around the campus for ‘trouble.’ He skipped classes, mouthed off to teachers, and spent more time in the guidance office than in math. What most people didn’t know was that Marvin’s home in Bain Town was noisy and unpredictable — his mother juggling two jobs, his older brother in and out of court, and food sometimes running out before Friday.
When a new guidance counselor arrived that term, she saw something others missed. Instead of focusing on detentions, she asked about his mornings, his meals, and what he enjoyed. Through a local church, she connected him to a youth mentor who met him twice a week. Soon the school’s breakfast program made sure Marvin started the day fed, and a teacher let him help with setting up lab equipment — giving him a sense of purpose.
It wasn’t an overnight change, but by term’s end, Marvin’s attendance improved, his temper eased, and for the first time he passed every subject. He still faced hardship at home, but the difference was clear: someone saw him, supported him, and believed he could rise.
