Graduation Day

Gazing in the mirror at the young man in  the cap and gown staring back at him, Kenneth barely recognized the street kid who used to skip school and hang out. He wondered, "Does the tassel belong on the right or left side of the cap? He couldn’t ask his brother or sister because they never graduated from high school. His mother is in prison and he hasn’t seen his dad for several years. So, Kenneth "Pooh" Oliver turned to the Don Bosco Youth Development Director Calvin Wainright, who has been his mentor and close friend during the past 12 years.

Not that long ago, it seemed doubtful Pooh would even survive, let alone graduate from high school. His mother was involved with drugs and his father was gone most of the time. Pooh roamed the streets, staying with friends and relatives wherever he could find a bed. No doubt, Pooh was headed for trouble, when fate and Calvin Wainright intervened.

Pooh was an exceptional basketball player. He often played against older kids at Don Bosco Community Center, and he usually won. His skill, hard work and determination helped him improve each day. When he first arrived as Youth Activity Coordinator, Calvin knew that Pooh and other kids needed more than basketball to succeed. That’s why he established a rule, requiring kids in the Don Bosco Youth League to maintain a "C" grade average in school. Calvin’s "no grades, no play" rule wasn’t meant to punish so much as it was to prepare them for high school. Slipping below a "C" average meant an automatic two-week suspension from the league. While they we’re out, volunteers tutored the kids at least three times a week. Pooh’s grade average never slipped below "C" because he was determined to play.

Calvin’s interest in kids at Don Bosco goes far beyond the gym and the classroom. When Pooh got in trouble for running away from a group home at the age of 10, Calvin gave him a ride to juvenile court. When his parents didn’t show up for the hearing, the judge was ready to send Pooh to a lock-up facility for troubled youth. Calvin refused to let it happen, agreeing to become Pooh’s legal guardian.

Pooh lived with Calvin for 1½ years, then was briefly back with his mother before she was sent back to prison. Once again, faced with being placed in foster care or a group home, another "angel" came to Pooh’s rescue. She was Iris Porter, a counselor at Northeast Middle School. She became the second person to legally adopt Pooh. Like Calvin, Iris insisted that Pooh focus on more than basketball. They both had a goal of raising a well-rounded young man. It obviously worked.

Pooh became the first four-year basketball starter during Bud Lathrop’s 43-year coaching career at Raytown South. He made the all-state team this year. He earned almost a 3.0 grade point average in high school, including a 3.4 GPA his final semester. Pooh was elected to the Homecoming Court by his classmates and became a Don Bosco Youth League volunteer. He encourages boys and girls to work hard and stay focused, both on the basketball court and in school. Pooh will be heading for Moberly Community College this fall with a basketball scholarship.

As Pooh walked on stage to get his diploma, he knew his mother and father weren’t there, but Calvin and Iris were there…tears rolling down their cheeks…and as proud as could be. Pooh is proof that one or two people really can make a difference with help from organizations like Don Bosco.