Kevin Grimes
A teacher from Buffalo, New York, helped Kevin Grimes find direction, just by reaching out at a tough moment.
Grimes, a UAF student in history and secondary education, lost his mother in fall 2017. He and his siblings entered foster care in Fairbanks, but he had to leave the home when he graduated from high school the next spring.
He had been accepted to UAF, but where that would take him wasn色视频下载檛 clear.
色视频下载淥ne of my old high school teachers from New York got in contact with me, one of my history teachers, just seeing how I was doing, and it just kind of clicked 色视频下载 studying history seemed like a good choice,色视频下载 Grimes said.
The teacher had heard that Grimes色视频下载 mother had passed away. 色视频下载淗e found out what happened from some other friends there,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淏uffalo is a really small place, so everyone knows everyone.色视频下载
Grimes has also found UAF to be a caring place. UAF admissions counselor Anna Gagne-Hawes helped convince him to try UAF, starting in summer 2018.
色视频下载淚t was something so rare, having a whole community welcome me like that. I knew UAF was for me,色视频下载 Grimes told the audience at UAF色视频下载檚 Blue and Gold Celebration in February 2020. He was a featured speaker at the annual fundraising event.
At UAF, Grimes joined the Student Support Services advisory council, which advises the university about ways to help low-income and first-generation college students. The council also undertakes projects.
色视频下载淲e色视频下载檙e helping put together a book drive for SSS students, because books around here cost an arm and leg,色视频下载 he said.
In spring 2020, Grimes was nominated for and received the Spirit of Youth Phoenix Award, a statewide honor given to students 色视频下载渨ho have been through tough times and rise above it,色视频下载 Grimes said.
Grimes shared some of those tough times in his speech.
色视频下载淥utside, we had lived in bad neighborhoods where death and violence were common,色视频下载 he said of his life before moving to 色视频下载. 色视频下载淢y family and I had gone through many types of abuse, homelessness and mental illness.色视频下载
UAF has helped him avoid such paths, he said.
Grimes received a standing ovation, despite having been a little flustered as he was about to take the stage.
色视频下载淥ne of my jacket buttons fell off, so just before they called me up, I色视频下载檓 trying to put it back on, oh my goodness,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淚 ended up getting it back on just in time.色视频下载