Nineteen Years of Student Achievement

Romelyn Augustin
Oak Ridge High School
High School Student of the Year

Elease Samms
Jones High School
Lee Norris Rayam Scholarship Winner

Marsha Noel
Memorial Middle School
Middl School Student of the Year

2007 - 2008 ANNUAL REPORT

COMPACT Board member and one 
of the program's founders, Margaret
Gentile, posed with COMPACT

supporter, John Wright, principal of

Timber Creek High School at last

year's banquet

One ship sails East,

And another West,

By the self-same winds that blow,

Tis the set of the sails

And not the gales, that tells the way we go.

Like the winds of the sea

Are the waves of time,

As we journey along through life,

Tis the set of the soul,

That determines the goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Timber Creek High School 

Student, Jordan Charles aspires

to be an American Sign language

teacher.  She was able to visit the campus 

of Gallaudent University famed for its program

or the deaf and hard of hearing.

Photography:  James Newton, Visions Photography

Layout & Design:  Wendy L. Doromal

Printer:  Mercury Media Group

Nineteen Years of Guiding and Nurturing

A Message from COMPACT'S Executive Director, A. George Fuller

Nineteen years! Yes, we have completed another successful year. Way back in 1989 COMPACT was launched with a pilot program of 15 students and mentors at Jones High School. Since then, COMPACT has touched the lives of over 10,000 youngsters, including almost 600 for this school year.

The three students pictured on the cover epitomize this year's achievers. Middle School Student of the Year, Marsha Noel, Memorial Middle School, achieved a 4.0 GPA and was a student leader at Memorial. Lee Norris Rayam Scholarship recipient, Elease Samms, Jones High School Valedictorian (GPA 4.8), was among 24 Washington D.C. Trip winners and is now a first year student a Cornell University. Elease wants to be, and will be, an architect. Romelyne Augustin, Oak Ridge High School is the COMPACT Student of the Year. In 2001 as a 6th grader at Memorial, this child of Haitian immigrants joined COMPACT. This May, Romelyne, after seven years in COMPACT (the most of any student), graduated from Oak Ridge with an impressive, distinguished resume -4.12 GPA, member of the National Honor Society, BETA Club, and Haitian/Creole Club where she served as president. She is only one of four students ever to win the prestigious Washington D.C. Trip three times! While at Oak Ridge, Romelyne worked diligently in the Hotel and Restaurant magnet program. Now a freshman at Florida Memorial University, she plans a career in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

We were honored to start our 2007/2008 school year with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivering a spell-binding keynote address to over 300 attendees at the 13th Annual Salute to COMPACT Awards Banquet. As usual, our school year concluded with Justice Thomas as he shared his wisdom and challenges to 24 special achievers and nine chaperones (teachers/administrators/staff) during our annual excursion to our nation's capital.

Yes, we are proud that COMPACT is still guiding and nurturing our students. To all -students, parents, teachers, administrators, mentors and staff - who helped make this another successful year we say thanks!

COMPACT Executive Director, George 

Fuller with Orange Center Principal, Dr.

Ginny Kennerly.

"The greatest

achievements were at first

and for a time dreams.

The oak sleeps in the

acorn."  ..James Allen 

Overview of the COMPACT

 Scholarship Program

The COMPACT scholarships were first awarded in 1991, funded by private donations, Since then over 200 scholarships have been funded by private donors and the City of Orlando grant.

The Lee Norris Rayam Scholarship is named in the honor of Lee Norris Rayam, who was a community and COMPACT volunteer and a staunch advocate for the youth. Tragically, he was murdered in Jamaica in 1994, The $1,500.00 scholarship is renewable at one half value ($750.00) for three years if the student makes satisfactory progress.  Elease Samms of Jones High School, the 2008 recipient of the award, is now attending Cornell University.  Other scholarship winners received awards ranging from $300.00 to $1,000.00. 

Elease Samms (R) pictured with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and student of the year, Romelyn Augustin who received a second place $1000.00 scholarship.

2007 -2008
COMPACT REPORT CARD

GPA Improved                                   56%
GPA Improved 1.0 or higher               8%
Percent with 3.0 or higher GPA           25%*
Attendance Improved                         49%
Suspensions Improved                        84%
Scholarship Awards                            15
Washington, D.C. Trip Winners          24

Orange Center Elementary School principal, Dr Ginny 

Kennerly (fifth from left) and teachers celebrate the  school's 

grade.  Orange Center went from an F grade to an A!

"No matter how good you get you

can always get better and that's 

the exciting part."  ~Tiger Woods

Memorial Middle School COMPACT students who made honor roll and their mentors were rewarded with a trip to Sea World.

The competition was rigorous, but after year-long competition, 

the above listed 24  students visited our nation's capital, 

June 6 through June 11. The competition focuses on grades, 

attendance and behavior, as well as the completion of an essay,

The 2008 Washington, D.C. Trip participants on the steps of the Capital.

community service, and letters of recommendation. These trips have been conducted annually since 1992 and continue to be a life changing event for our students. Accompanying our students this year as chaperons were Carmen Chaves, Assistant Principal, Timber Creek; Marcia Davis, COMPACT Coordinator, Jones; Cynthia Drayton, Principal, Citrus Elementary; Carol Everett, COMPACT Teacher, Dr. Phillips; Kelvin Moore, COMPACT Teacher, Oak Ridge; Dawn Plagianes, CRT, Engelwood Elementary; Juanita Reed, Counselor, Dr. Phillips and Rocky Robinson, COMPACT Program Manager. Joyce Bowers, COMPACT Board Chair joined the group when we visited Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. As always, George Fuller traveled ahead of the group to meet them in Washington, D.C.

Timber Creek High Student, Soraya

Sackaloo is greeted by COMPACT

Executive Director, George Fuller.

From a letter by Washington , D.C. trip participant, Soraya Sackaloo to Program Manager, Rocky Robinson:

"After being on the trip, I realized that the exposure of being in unfamiliar territory alongside a group of people who were once strangers has changed me slightly as a person and my outlook on life. I was able to make friends easier than I thought 1 would, and my fear of going on the trip melted away after the first day unfolded. I find myself further motivated as a student to perform to the best of my abilities in everything I do. I aspire to be all I can as I grow older, especially after listening to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Appreciation for the things I have in life was additionally pointed out to me as I was one of the lucky people able to go on a trip and visit a part of this world some people can only wish to see."

Students and chaperones enjoy dancing on the Cruise on the Potomac boat trip.

The Timber Creek high School delegation pose with Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas. Pictured (L to R): Assistant Principal Nydia Chaves, Marissa Bergeron, Carlos Garcia, Mary Barahona, Alessandra Gomez, Kaley Wyker, Madeline Alvarez, Car la Ortiz, Jordan Charles, Soraya Sackaloo, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

                                Students and chaperones by the                    

                                 World War II Memorial.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Dance Afrika 

Performance at Dance Place.

Colonial 9th Grade Center student with

her young reading buddy from Three

Points Elementary.

Colonial Ninth Grade Center and Three Points

Elementary "Reading Buddies" at their end of the

year celebration.

"Somehow I can't believe that there are any

 heights that can't be scaled by a man who

knows the secrets of making dreams come

true. This special secret, it seems to me, can

be summarized in four C s. They are curiosity,

 confidence, courage, and constancy."

-Walt Disney

COMPACT Mentor of the year

architect Andrew Braley, and

his mentee, Marcus Melendez, a

fourth grade student at Englewood

Elementary School

Teachers and Mentors 

Making a Difference!

At Citrus Elementary School many teachers and staff serve as COMPACT Mighty Mentors. Pictured with Alisa Grace, Community Resource Teacher and Mentor Coordinator (I), are (I to r) Julie Hilley, Sarah Bowling, and Amy Orseno.

COMPACT Program Manager, Rocky Robinson and Citrus Elementary School Principal, Cynthia Drayton on the Washington, D. C. Trip.

Jones High School student, Shelynn Guillaume, with her mentor, Diane Hinton

Gateway teacher and COMPACT Coordinator, Rose Cooper with award-winning COMPACT students.

Middle School Student of the Year, Marsha Noel with her mentor, OCPS Specialist, Pam Maisel