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Dear Next Level Mentoring Program,

First and for most I want to say thank you for all your hard work and dedication you put into helping me prepare for college. Thanks to your program I received a full-ride, four year scholarship to Kentucky State University. You all are my angels and I will never forget you for as long as I live. Just so you know, I am maintaining straight A’s in all my classes and I will continue to do so, don’t worry I will not let you guys down. Once again I want to say thanks for everything and most of all for being real friends.

Sincerely,
Ashley Patterson
Student __________________________________________________________________________

Walter & Cicely,
I hope your summer is off to a good start. Again, congratulations on a successful first Recognition Luncheon and Silent Auction for the Next Level Mentoring Program. Your attention to detail and quality showed because the afternoon was a wonderful experience. And most importantly, thank you for working to make a difference in the lives of our youth.

Looking forward to next year,
Kim Glenn
Vice-President
American Association of Blacks in Energy – Cincinnati

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“This program is inspiring and successful!! It’s great to have a program and helps all children to gain a higher education..especially African-American teens. My mentor taught me how to be more responsible and focused. She taught me how to be lady like and brought me out of my shell. I really enjoyed the one on one meetings with my mentor and the community service projects. Thanks Next Level!!”

Jameelah Means
Student __________________________________________________________________________

Next Level has been a good experience for the students and keeps them out of trouble. The program teaches maturity and leads them in the right direction. The program lets the students know that they can become whatever they want to be. It was nice that the students had contact with their mentors anytime that they were needed. My daughter got a lot of chances to go and visit many colleges and also heard from professors and other college students. I appreciate the way Next Level took time with the students to learn about their goals and ambitions. I am very satisfied with the services provided to my daughter!”

Carolyn Carter
Parent

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“This program is a very good thing. I have had 2 children that have benefited from NLMP services and the results have been phenomenal. The mentors were able to get places in their minds that I couldn’t have. I now have a young positive college man and a young positive college bound lady.

Melanie Harris
Parent

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“Thank you NLMP for your time and patience with me.”

Sabrina Johnson
Student __________________________________________________________________________

“I feel that the NLMP is a valuable opportunity for students in NKY. I would like to see more adults volunteering as “mentors to be”.”

Gwen Gillespie
Mentor

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“I really enjoyed this experience. I had the wonderful opportunity to impart wisdom, knowledge, & experience unto a young adult/teen. I feel like my mentee was very receptive of information that I shared and I believe that she will take the knowledge gained and reapply it as appropriate in her life. I am truly thankful for NLMP and all that is is striving to accomplish in the lives of these young people. Keep up the excellent work!!”

Retina Carter
Mentor

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“NLMP has been a great (and will be in the future) experience for my son. His mentor always suggest and gives my son instructions, directions, and other options working toward his future goals. It is a great match!”

Dana Carter
Parent

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“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Next Level Mentoring Program for all of the guidance and leadership that it has given me. Attending the 2004 & 2005 college tours gave me insight on what college will be like and the hard work and determination it will take to succeed. Through this program, I also had to opportunity to job shadow a (RN) for a day, to give me an inside look of the nursing profession.”

Tiffani Effinger
Student __________________________________________________________________________

“The Next Level Mentoring Program has been one of the best programs I have been involved with throughout my high school years. I attended the first HBCU college tour sponsored by The Next Level Program. Meeting with the faculty and students of the different colleges made me realize how important it is to maintain good grades during high school. It is also just as important to make good scores on the ACT or SAT tests.

While in the program, I was also involved in community projects. They were not only fun, but gave me a sense of joy knowing that I helped someone in my community.

I’d like to thank my Mom for encouraging me to be a part of the Next Level Mentoring Program, attending the college tour and being a part of the community projects. I thank her for the many prayers she has prayed for me throughout the course of my life.

Walter, thank you for sharing your vision with me and other students who are benefiting from this program in a great way. This program has broadened my knowledge in choosing a college to further my education. I have made the decision to attend Eastern Kentucky University in the fall of 2006.

Again, many thanks to the Next Level Mentoring Program and my Mom.”

Trent Grayson
Student __________________________________________________________________________

“Without this program, I would not have known about the college process and what it takes to get into college. Learning the things that I did not know made me take high school more seriously. I wish I would have been in the program at a much younger age.”

Charles Kinney
Student __________________________________________________________________________

“I have had fun and enjoyed my mentor. I’m glad that we started the Next Level Mentoring Program. Now I think that I’m better prepared to go to college now.”

Ashley Botts
Student __________________________________________________________________________

“The information that was provided will really make a difference in my life.”

Michael Bourne
Student __________________________________________________________________________

”Being admitted to college was a dream for me and I had the support of the Mentoring Program every step of the way. Many of the other students involved in the program have enjoyed their own success. We all agree that if it was not for the constant guidance of Mr. Ingram and his team we might not be as fortunate. He is the founder and backbone of the Next Level Mentoring Program that helped me to achieve a feat that not many people have overcome. I will never forget Mr. Ingram and the program he created to help myself and students like me overcome obstacles to attain greatness!!”

Tianna Williams
Student __________________________________________________________________________

“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the NLMP for the great support and assistance in helping my teen gain awareness of education, college choices, decision making, and more. You are doing an awesome job, and I greatly appreciate your time and effort to helping the teens in our community!”

Amanda Jones
Parent

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“I just want to express my gratitude for the NLMP and the deep commitment you’ve shown in your desired to help our youth. As a freshman, my son is beginning to see his future more clearly. High School has more relevance after speaking with admissions counselors during the HBCU tours and working with the NLMP on high school preparation. It’s beginning to make sense to him. Thank the Lord!! Parents need HELP…REINFORCEMENT, and I think this is just what the doctor ordered.”

Stacey Carter
Parent

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“I have nothing but praise for the Next Level Mentoring Program. Speaking from personal experience, it has proven to be very beneficial to my teenage nephew. The youth of today face obstacles on a daily basis. The program has provided these students with increase achievement. I’ve noticed fewer behavior problems, increased cultural sensitivity, and increased retention. The different workshops were relevant and very helpful. Before being involved with the mentoring program, my nephew scored 14 on his ACT. However, after being in the program and attending the ACT workshop, his scored much higher on his next ACT thus allowing him to gain acceptance to college. The mentoring program teaches the students how to get involved in the community on a positive level, how to prepare for college, and how to conduct themselves like ladies and gentlemen.”

Melanie Harris
Parent

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“As a parent, this program has been a great help with keeping my daughter headed down the right path. There are many distractions and negative influences around my daughter. It is great to see that there’s a program available to help her face these challenges.”

Felicia Maupin
Parent

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“The Kenton County School District fully embraces the benefits of mentoring that help students experience improved attendance, academic achievement, self-esteem, and to decrease discipline referrals. The positive role models that mentoring programs provide are a valuable resource for our students. Our district supports the efforts and potential benefits that the Next Level Mentoring Program will bring to the students within Kenton County Schools who will participate in the future.”

Carol Mitchell
Guidance Counselor