Neiko Morris Scholarship

On May 17, two Woodward Academy graduating students received the Neiko Morris Scholarship in remembrance of the former student leader on campus. Neiko was the perfect student for Woodward Academy: he was an excellent student, involved himself in student government, being an Executive Knight on his dorm, and participated in several athletic teams including the 2015 state basketball team.
   
Months later, he left us all with more questions than answers and gave us all a stark reminder the difficulties that many teens face. The statistics point to the fact that we are living in an epidemic:

• Children aged 10 to 14, death by suicide is now more common than death from traffic accidents.
• In 2014, suicide rates were higher than homicide rates for males and females of all age groups.
• While suicide was the 10th leading cause of death among the U.S. population in 2014, it was the second leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 24.
   
Earlier this year, Neiko’s parents reached out to Woodward Academy and offered the generous gift of a financial scholarship to a pair of high school graduates who plan to attend college. Moved by their sentiment, the Management Team at Woodward Academy decided to match that gift for those students to help pay for tuition, books, or other things they may need.
   
The questions of “why” these things happen will never go away and we all now have to live with the looming feeling that we could have done more with our time with him. These feelings are no more powerful than with his parents. His time at Woodward Academy mattered and his parents saw that in him. He was laid to rest in his Knights jacket, a sentiment that he is forever a Knight. We report a lot of student opportunities and success, and as a school we are very proud of those things. But Neiko proves to us that there is more work that can be done and we will continue to do that work.
   
This scholarship is a way to honor him and make a difference in another Knight’s life. The two recipients of the scholarship were Ammari Johnson, a standout WA athlete who plans on attending Iowa Central Community College, and Destry Johnson, who anticipates attending college in his home area of the Pacific Northwest.

Certified Nursing Assistant

Nearly every afternoon, Amando Alvarado is working toward his future and loving every moment of it. Rather than spend time on campus, he has earned the right to be employed while at Woodward Academy. He works with the Alzheimer’s unit at Madrid Home, a local assisted living environment for the elderly. This is not just any job, it was one that will help prepare him for the future.
   
Amando earned his Hi-SET high school equivalent in the summer of 2016. Shortly after that, he applied for an opening at the Madrid Home and was one of two students who started working there. It was an entry level position where he worked as an assistant to the staff there; passing out snacks, playing games, and just “keeping them busy.” This part of the job was not overly rewarding, but Amando found that he enjoyed the environment and helping those who lived there. He started asking questions of how he could get more involved, and eventually talked with the personnel at the administrative office who agreed to help him get his CNA to become a certified nursing assistant. Because of the work that he was doing, the Madrid Home agreed to pay for the schooling. Emily York, a nurse at Woodward Academy, noted that this is a mandatory first step to becoming a full time nurse. She helped him study for his tests and offered some helpful tips such as word associations to look for. After three weeks of classes, Amando earned his CNA from Signature Health Care in Waukee, Iowa.
     
Once Amando earned his CNA, more responsibility moved his way at the Madrid Home. He worked with many of the patrons one-on-one, and truly got to know them even when that notion was not reciprocated. Working with Alzheimer patients can be challenging, but Amando’s immensely compassionate heart and amazing patience makes him the perfect candidate for nursing. “I really enjoy it. It is almost like here [at Woodward Academy], you are teaching them everything over again. Sometimes they don’t always cooperate, or always know who you are, but they recognize you and I feel good about that.”
     
Amando’s experience at the Madrid Home has solidified his desire to continue to pursue nursing as a profession. The Madrid Home has offered Amando a $1,000 a semester scholarship to continue his education at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). What Amando does matters, and he is making a difference in many people’s lives.

     

Amando is a great example of taking an opportunity and making it his own. He was given the chance to apply for this job, and once he was accepted and experienced what it takes to work in this field, his dreams unfolded in front of him. He was not simply content with this current, entry level role, and took the initiative to change his situation for the better. He worked hard at his job, did what was asked and expected of him, he never complained, and formed a positive relationship with his supervisor. Once he established that he was a trustworthy and honest worker, he earned the opportunity to further his career and become a Certified Nursing Assistant. 

I Am Building Woodward Academy // Part 3 // Past Executive Directors

Mandy Moses and Bill Dean served as Executive Director for a decade from 2001-2012 and helped build Woodward Academy into what it is today. They now help build other facilities across the country as Chief Program Officer and Vice President of Operations for Sequel Youth & Family Services. They recently sat down and talked about their time on campus in the ongoing video series, I Am Building Woodward Academy.

Mandy Moses - Chief Program Officer, Sequel Youth and Family Services
Woodward Academy Executive Director 2001-2008


Bill Dean - Vice President of Operations, Sequel Youth and Family Services
Woodward Academy Executive Director 2008-2012

6th Annual Knights Scholarship Golf Outing

The 6th Annual Woodward Academy golf outing benefiting the Knights Scholarship Fund took place on June 26 at Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, IA. All proceeds from the tournament help WA alumni as they move into the next stage of their life.

This year with a full sponsorship and nearly 100 golfers, the tournament raised over $6,000 with half of the proceeds going to help support Julious Walker compete at the IPF World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. In the past 6 years, over $36,000 have been raised at this tournament and has helped students pay for tuition and books for college, furnishings for apartment living, and even to help one student long jump at the 2014 and 2015 USATF Indoor National Championships.

WYC President Jerry Anderson Receives Tom Lewis Award

Jerry Anderson is the only person who can say that he has been with Woodward Academy for the entire 20 years. As one of the original 13 staff members who started in 1995, Jerry has held a variety of positions on campus including youth counselor, teacher, business manager, admissions representative, and for the past decade, President of the Woodward Youth Corporation. 

     

His commitment to students, and his desire to build Woodward Academy into a nationally recognized facility, is a primary reason why the Academy has grown so significantly over the past two decades. His perseverance and initiative has built 4 school buildings, a gymnasium, football and baseball stadiums, allowed Knights on the Move (student moving company) to take off, and has seen the Academy grow from 4 students to 263. 

     

He was recently given the Tom Lewis Award, honoring his lifetime commitment to working with students. Kristie Oliver, Executive Director of the Coalition for Families and Children’s Services in Iowa, along with Jen Sievert, Executive Director at Forest Ridge Academy, and who currently serves as President of the Coalition Board of Directors, were present at the 2015 commencement ceremony to surprise Jerry with the honor. He was humbled with the award and accepted it knowing that it was a reflection of all of the hard work that staff have put into building Woodward Academy.

WA Powerlifter Makes the WORLD'S Team

Julious Walker is 16 years old and is having the best powerlifting season of any Woodward Academy lifter. This past season, he broke 5 American records and at the USAPL High School National Championships in March, became a National Champion when he squatted 622 pounds, bench pressed 325 pounds, and deadlifted 573 pounds, for a total of 1521 pounds. He thought that was the end of his season until we received a fateful phone call a couple weeks ago. 

As one of the best powerlifters in the nation, Julious has been asked to represent the United States at the IPF Sub-Junior and Junior World Championships that will take place August 31 - September 6 in Prague, Czech Republic. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for Julious and was made possible by the dedication he exhibited this season and the fact that he was a Woodward Academy Knight. 

This year's Knight's Scholarship golf outing will take place on June 26 at the Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, Iowa. Some of this year's proceeds will help Julious travel to Prague. If you would like to sign up as an individual or a foursome, please contact Tami Santi: 

tami.santi@sequelyouthservices.com

(515) 438-3499

Exit Planning at WA

When a student first attends Woodward Academy, the focus is on their behavior and what they had done to get themselves adjudicated. As time goes by, and the student works their program, the focus of what they had done in their past shifts to what they are going to do after they leave campus. Exit planning for students often begins months before the student is actually ready to leave. It can include helping them rebuild relationships with family members, equipping them with problem solving skills for scenarios that may take place, and establishing an academic plan for their arrival. Sometimes students do not return home, but rather go on to live on their own after WA. For these students, exit planning is particularly important to help them get positioned for success. This was the case with Jaime who recently left.

It was anticipated that Jaime would attend Woodward Academy until he discharged into the real world. He was fantastic on campus, a leader in a lot of ways, and he gained many of the benefits that positive Knights receive. Because of his hard work, Jaime accomplished a lot and set himself up for success upon leaving. During his time on campus, Jaime earned his high school diploma, and afterwards worked on campus. As a student worker, he was able to earn a couple thousand dollars that he took with him when he left. He set up a bank account and gained an understanding of how to manage money and use a debit card. He also attended a 30-hour welding class at the Des Moines Area Community College during his stay, which qualified him to be a welding assistant.

When it was time to go, Jaime received some bonus exit planning. Jon Shelness, Educational Liaison at Woodward Academy, drove him to Ohio and together they spent a couple days getting this set up. They visited the Job Corps recruiting office in Columbus as well as the Columbus State Community College where they met with an adviser. They filled out some job applications and together toured the neighborhood to get him acquainted with the area. Whatever happened in his past, Jaime was a great student on campus who exhibited sincerity and a strong work ethic. We are happy to have helped him pave a road toward his bright future.

Cal Lane: WA's First Professional Athlete

Over the past couple years, we have been able to follow the professional track & field career of former Knight Cal Lane. He was the cover story of Volume 28 of the Knightly Knews that you can download here. Cal graduated from Woodward Academy in October 2007 and returned to his high school where he won 6 individual state titles and was inducted into his high school's athletic hall of fame. Until recently, he trained primarily on his own and competed in long jump events across the country with a little backing from Woodward Academy and the Lifetime Commitment Fund.

In 2013, he competed at Iowa State University and won the long jump contest at their indoor winter event. He also won at an event held at Arkansas University (you can see the video here) and has competed in several other meets, including those held at The University of Kansas and the 2014 USATF Indoor National Championships in New Mexico.

On December 19, Cal jumped at the University of Indiana and hit a huge jump: 26 feet, 4 inches. He won the meet and is currently ranked #1 in the world. It qualified him for the USA Indoor National Meet in Boston that is being held February 28-March 1. It also ensures that he can jump in any meet that he desires for the next year. We also just found out that Cal is now signing with an agent and will field contract offers that will help pay for clothing, travel expenses, and cash. One of those contracts was from Nike. Cal has decided that over the next few months, he will compete in Europe at events that will pay him between $500-$5,000 in prize money per meet. We are very proud to say that Cal is a Knight and is our first professional athlete.

NBA Preseason

The NBA season is kicking off in preseason form and two teams made a stop in Des Moines with a lot of Knights in attendance. Over 90 Woodward Academy students and staff filled Wells Fargo Arena for the game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. There was a lot of buzz around the game because it featured Iowa native Harrison Barnes (guard for the Warriors) returning home to play in the same arena where he won two state championships for Ames High.

Not only did a ton of current students attend the game, but alum and Lifetime Exec, Quartney Parker, returned to campus and also attended the game. Pictured is Quartney (right) with current Guide and a top Knight on campus, Ankoma Riddick. Quartney will be spending some time with students and talking with them about his experience at WA and how he has been doing since leaving the Academy.

Not that the preseason matters, but Barnes lifted the Warriors to a win in his home state by hitting a clutch jumper with 6.8 seconds left in the game.

Alumni Visit Campus // Knights Pride

The four years in high school are formative years in a lot of young people's lives, and ones that are often remembered forever. For two Woodward Academy alumni, they were so powerful that they helped shape who they are today. Kevante Jackson and Tony Stocker attended WA during the 2010-2011 school year and left an impact on the school that continues today. They were both members of Woodward Academy's first football team, and were also on the powerlifting team that was featured in the documentary, Knight of Iron.

They are now on their own in Kansas City, MO and Flint, MI respectively, working in the auto industry, and both are engaged to be married. Tony's fiancé is originally from Iowa and he wanted to show her his path through high school that included a stop at Woodward Academy's campus. He called Kevante up, and together they made the trip. Tony admitted to staff that he never thought he would ever return to campus, and was regretting his decision as he approached campus. But once he saw and talked with some staff he knew, he said it "felt like home." During their time on campus, they presented their story to a lot of Knights during Dorm Report meeting and both are extremely proud to be Knights.

Culinary Arts Major

Victor Fuller recently participated in his orientation day at Iowa Central Community College as he prepares for college life later this fall. He spent time signing up for classes, worked on his financial aid, and was exposed to what campus life has to offer such as computer and support services. As a Culinary Arts and Restaurant and Hospitality Management major, Victor also took an extended tour of the culinary arts program.

The head of the program is Chef Michael Hirst, who led the tour of this area and laid out what he expects from his students. One of the most interesting things was the "daily evaluation" rubric he presented the students. After looking at the document, it was amazing at how accurately it married the values that are taught at Woodward Academy every day. Students in his program are evaluated on their acceptance of instruction, dependability / punctuality, initiative / enthusiasm, overall attitude in the work place, personal appearance, and quality of work. These are the characteristics that he views as valuable in the classroom and workplace. For Victor, it also cemented the values that he has been exposed to while attending WA.

Annual Golf Tournament for the Knights Scholarship Fund

Last Friday, the 5th annual golf tournament benefiting the Knights Scholarship Fund teed off at the Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, Iowa. This year, 78 golfers participated in the four-person best ball event. With the help of 35 sponsors and donors, the tournament raised over $6,000 that will directly help WA alumni as they move into the next stage of their life. Some of the money has already been allocated for students later this summer who have been accepted to college for the fall semester.

Over the past 5 years, this tournament alone has generated over $30,000 and changed students' lives for the better. The spirit of the tournament is an extension of Woodward Academy's Lifetime Commitment Program. You can see some pictures from the tournament by visiting our Knight Pics website by clicking here.

Graduation 2014 // Video

The Woodward Academy commencement ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 21 and celebrated the end of a journey for the Class of 2014. This academic school year saw 47 students either earn their high school diploma or GED certificate while attending WA.

The student body erupted once the graduates entered the gymnasium, setting the stage for the rest of the ceremony that consisted of two seniors being awarded financial help from the Lifetime Commitment Fund, two senior speeches, and the keynote address from Iowa Senator Steve Sodders of the 36th District. Read more after the jump and watch a video of the senior speeches.

Knights Scholarship Golf Tournament

The 5th Annual Knights Scholarship Golf Tournament is being held on June 20, 2014 at the Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, Iowa. Fees for the tournament are $100 for a single or $400 per foursome, which includes the green fees and cart for 18 holes, dinner, 20 raffle tickets, entered into all of the pin prizes, and 1 mulligan per 9 holes.

Proceeds for the event go toward the Knights Scholarship Fund that helps students transition to life away from Woodward Academy. Recently, money has helped alumni enroll in college, help furnish independent living needs, and even assist a former student compete at the USA Track & Field Indoor National Championships. Needless to say, the money raised is genuinely helping to change a students life who has already succeeded at Woodward Academy.

If you would like to register for the event or donate to the Knights Scholarship Fund, please contact Tami Santi (tami.santi@sequelyouthservices.com).

College Course Update

In March, we wrote a story about 3 Knights who started taking an online college Intro to Business course from Iowa Central Community College. You can read the story here. The courses were paid for from the Knights Scholarship Fund and served as a great way for the students to earn college credit as well as get a pulse of the workload the college classes require. We are happy to have an update on that story with all three students completing the course early. They each earned a B and all have voiced an interest to continue their collegiate education after Woodward Academy.

Intro to Business College Course

This semester, three WA students are taking a college course online through Iowa Central Community College. These students are considered good candidates to be college bound once they leave WA, but they have not yet completed their program on campus. Students who take college classes are those who have either earned their high school diploma, or recently acquired their GED certificate.

The Intro to Business course is a good class for students to begin with to get a taste of the workload that college classes require. The students work on it throughout the week and check in with WA's Educational Liaison, Jon Shelness, twice a week to input their assignments. The courses are being paid through the Woodward Academy Lifetime Commitment Fund.

WA Alum Competes in the USATF Indoor National Championships

In the last edition of the Knightly Knews, we did a cover story on Woodward Academy alum, Cal Lane. At that time, Cal was resurrecting dreams of becoming a professional track athlete and his first step was to compete at the USATF Indoor National Championships.

As a 6-time state champion, Cal certainly has the athletic prowess, but lacked a lot of the resources necessary to compete on the national level. He continued to train on his own after work and with the help of WA, competed at Iowa State University’s indoor Holiday Preview event in December and won, despite not jumping his best.

Since then, he has competed at events at Arkansas University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Indiana, all leading up to qualifying for the USATF Indoor Championships. On February 22, Cal Lane was jumping with the nation’s best at our National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was one of 16 who qualified and finished 11th after jumping 24’ 1/4’’. After jumping a new personal best this season of over 25’, Cal is looking forward to a successful outdoor season later this year.

Track Athlete Cal Lane - Update

In the last edition of the Knightly Knews, we ran a story about former Woodward Academy student, Cal Lane, and his pursuit of a professional track career. At that time, we reported that Cal was training on his own and through the help of Woodward Academy's Lifetime Commitment program, was able to travel to Iowa State University to compete in their indoor winter event, that he won. You can read that story by clicking here to download the latest Knightly Knews.

Since that time, Cal has traveled to Arkansas University and won that long jump event as well. A video of him jumping is posted below. He jumped 25' 0" (7.62 meters) and accomplished his first goal of qualifying for the USATF Indoor National Championship, which is being held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 21-23. Later this month he will be competing at the University of Kansas to continue to prepare for the Nationals meet. We'll keep you updated as more information is available.

WA Students Visit Job Corps in Denison

Last week, four WA students visited Job Corps in Denison, Iowa and took a tour of the facilities. Job Corps is the nation's largest education and training program for young people 16 to 24 years of age to learn skills that will be valuable in the workplace. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and free to students who qualify as low income. There are 125 centers across the nation including several in Iowa.

Pictures are WA students on the Denison campus in an area called HBI. It is where students learn the basics of carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and other skills necessary in the construction industry. The Denison center also has courses in brick masonry, tile setting, as well as in health occupations including a certified nursing assistant, and pharmacy technician. The trip was planned as an opportunity to expose students to what options are available to them as they begin to transition away from WA.

Save the Date(s)!

Dates have been announced for two of Woodward Academy's biggest annual events: the Open House and Knight's Scholarship Golf Tournament. If you have not been involved in these events yet, now is the chance. Like every year, the spring season is our busiest with some other on campus events as well. Below is a breakdown of what can be expected in the upcoming months. Mark your calendars!

Knowledge Bowl (March 8) - An all day competition that pits dorms against each other to see who is the smartest. With questions based on their academic classes, the winning dorm earns a huge day off campus. Past winners went to see a broadway show in Chicago with another an NBA basketball game in Minneapolis.

Graduation (May 23) - Commencement ceremony that celebrates our high school graduates.

Open House (June 6) - The day kicks off with a grueling 5K race that forces its competitors to run through a creek and up a muddy Iron Man (70 degree hill). After lunch, campus visits are arranged where guests can meet with students.

Knight's Golf Tournament (June 28) - Held at the Beaver Creek Golf Course in Grimes, Iowa, the four man best ball tournament helps support WA's Knight's Scholarship Fund. To date, eligible alumni have received financial support in college and with independent living needs.

For more information on any of these events, call us at (515) 438-3481.