News
Students surprise kids with school supplies
Students surprise kids with school supplies
By Chris Vannini
The State News
Published: September 14, 2008
Lansing - School supplies may not excite college students, but there was no greater thrill for the children at Shabazz Public School Academy.
Freshman business students from MSU donated school supplies to the academy Friday in boxes the MSU students created.
The faces of the children lit up as the college students walked into the gym carrying the decorated boxes of supplies, covered in construction paper, stars, pictures of celebrities and encouraging sayings such as "Never give up."
"There's always the 'wow' factor with the kids," said Eugene Cain, chief school administrator at Shabazz, 1028 Barnes Ave., in Lansing, which teaches students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.
"I believe it takes a village to raise a child," Cain said. "Certain parts of the village don't have the (same) resources as the other part, so it's great to see young people share their resources."
Following an introduction by Cain, the MSU students walked around the gym and talked with the children.
"They were very anxious to talk," general management freshman Courtney Conyers said.
"They told me what they want to be when they grow up and I told them that they have to stay in school to do that."
The MSU students participated in MSU's Summer Business Institute, held July 20-26, and were divided into teams to work on different business roles, including community service.
"Every day we would talk to different businesses," finance freshman Colton Leppink said.
"It was basically morning-to-night business and it was a fantastic experience."
The institute is part of the Multicultural Business Program, or MBP, and has delivered supplies to Shabazz for five years.
"We always get a warm greeting at Shabazz," said Darrell King, associate director of the MBP.
The event may have even inspired a few future Spartans.
"I think it's great," 10-year-old Roderick Frost said. "It makes me want to go to MSU."
Published on Sunday, September 14, 2008