From Pushed Aside to Pushing Forward: How LEAD Cameron Helped a Student Soar To New Heights
Not many parents can say they were able to witness their child’s academic progress at school every day, but that is true for Tabitha Thorman, a 5th and 6th grade science and greenhouse teacher at LEAD Cameron. When Tabitha accepted a job at LEAD Cameron in 2022, her daughter Felicytie also enrolled as a 7th grade student and began an academic journey that would take her to new heights.
Before enrolling at LEAD Cameron, Felicytie attended multiple elementary schools where she felt overlooked, which led to a deficit in her reading skills. “It seemed like it was more of teachers taking care of behaviors in the classroom,” said Tabitha. “Being the good kid, Felicytie was pushed aside.” This lack of attention led to a significant gap in Felicytie’s learning, specifically in reading. When she finished fifth grade, she was only reading at a second-grade level.
Coming to LEAD Cameron was a new start for both Tabitha and her daughter Felicytie. The calm, structured environment of the school provided exactly the kind of support Felicytie needed. It allowed her to grow not only academically, but personally as well.
“I would consider myself a recluse, because I like to be alone,” Felicytie said. “But being able to make friends and speak to others is really great because it just overall brings a better community around.”
The sense of community and belonging at Cameron was crucial, but what truly propelled Felicytie forward was the personalized attention she received in reading intervention. “I think the most important thing that’s helped is the actual fidelity of intervention,” said Tabitha. “That intervention found where she was missing and helped push her there.”
Two teachers in particular made a lasting impact on Felicytie. “Ms. Hughes really pushed me to keep on reading, no matter how much I pushed back—she would always try to make me read more,” Felicytie said. Another teacher, Ms. Davis, helped Felicytie shift her focus from the grades she earned to the skills she was developing, like grammar. This shift in perspective, along with the foundational skills she was building, gave her a newfound confidence. She began to see the value in practices like annotating, which was a requirement in middle school but became a habit that followed her into high school.
By the time she completed eighth grade, Felicytie’s reading level had soared. She was reading at a ninth-grade level and was on the cusp of reaching a tenth-grade level. Her progress was a testament to the belief that others had in her, which ultimately led her to believe in herself.
“People actually took time on her, and it made her see that she could do more than just be ‘the good kid,'” Tabitha said. “Now she’s pushing herself to have great grades and pushing herself to overachieve because she believes in herself. Other people believed in her, and now she believes in herself even more.”
