Updates
Checking In With Two Former Tutor-Mentors
Making A Differene
Lera Pool, 17, said Root 2 Rise demonstrated how difficult teaching can be. Even so, the experience convinced her to become an elementary school teacher. In her first semester with Root 2 Rise, she learned to set boundaries. During her second semester, “I learned how I affect kids, and know I make a difference.” She plans to attend college in North Carolina.
After completing her Root 2 Rise semester, she received her $750 stipend from Denise Hanson. She will give $500 of it to her mother to cover damage from Lera’s traffic mishap, an outcome that didn’t diminish her praise for Root 2 Rise.
Quiet But Determined
Willow Wilson, 19, used her stipend to save for college. After attending Madison College for a year, she will attend the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and major in graphic design. “I’ve always been quiet and reserved,” she said, which prompted her to pay special attention to younger students who were also quiet. “They opened up and came up and asked me questions. It was nice seeing that.'“
She said her mother noticed that she was “more mature and organized” due to Root 2 Rise. If her schedule had permitted, Wilson said she would eagerly have participated again, “even without the stipend.”
Selected For Odyssey Program
From left: Cquemiah Clark-Richmond, Joseph Thigpen, Jr., and Shaneece Taylor
Three former Tutor-Mentors (above) were selected to participate in the 2026 University of Wisconsin Odyssey course The humanities classes offered over two semesters feature exposure to great works of literature, philosophy, history, and art, fostering skills in critical thinking, a sense of empowerment, and a stronger voice. The recipients credit Root 2 Rise for their choice of careers involving education and other means of helping others.
Community Outreach
Root 2 Rise distributed information at Madison’s Unity Picnic on July 26 where (from left) Outreach Coordinator Joe Thigpen, Jr. and Executive Director Denise Hanson were joined by supporters Ariel Ford and Lorie Olson.