First Class To Complete And Graduate R.I.S.E. (Restoring Inspiration by Success in Education) Initiative
Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard honored the first class to complete her signature R.I.S.E. (Restoring Inspiration by Success in Education) Initiative with a special Graduation Ceremony at New Pilgrim Church in Macon on December 22, 2022. This initiative, launched December 2021, provided individualized early intervention for the participants, all of whom have been victimized and affected by adverse childhood experiences in their lives. All graduates successfully completed their outlined programs aimed at moving them away from the vicious cycle of trauma induced crime and toward a pathway of Hope and Success. Dr. Dan Sims, Bibb County School Superintendent, delivered an inspiring commencement address to the graduates and their families, which recognized all the hard work they had put into arriving at this moment.
“My heart was full, and I was bursting with pride as I recognized all the graduates with their certificates and plaques. It is my prayer that these young people will take the lessons they have learned over this past year, apply them to their daily lives, and positively influence their peers. They will all continue to have challenges, and I am so humbled that my Office, in partnership with others in the community, have been able to give them tools they can now use toward a lifetime of success and leadership. I sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of this vision with me, and I am very much looking forward to the coming year with R.I.S.E.!” stated DA Howard.
Following the ceremony the children and their families were given a special Christmas shopping treat courtesy of the Kaplan’s family Merrie Christmas Project.
