A Fresh Drink...

Candidate Diante stopped by the garden to water the seeds planted by the other candidates.

We learned that the beds in the community section are not part of the irrigation system and have to be manually watered! Eeeek! In order to save them, we will have to find a way to get them watered frequently.
Anytime you are in the area, feel free to stop by, grab the water bucket and saturate the four front beds.
We will ask how to operate the hose as I'm sure that will make it easier!
Luckily for Diante, he had some help:

Watch Them Grow...

After hearing from the community garden coordinator that some of our seeds had sprouted, several ROPP candidates stopped by the garden to see what was (literally) up!




Diggin' In

Four ROPP Candidates visited the Blackshear Community Garden together after church yesterday. After taking a moment to check out the place (including the roosters and hens out back), they jumped on in and made quite a difference in their two hours!

There are leftover cabbage, beet, spinach and cilantro seeds from their trip, so let us know if you'd like to plant some in the remaining space of the garden.

Here are a few pics:


it'S aLL aCAdeMic!!

September's Core Focus Day was an enlightening cruise through the halls of academia. ROPP candidates visited two local universities, UT and HT, and received first-hand "real talk" about what it's like to transition into college life at both campuses. Over and over, they heard that they will be required to do a lot of reading!
Challenges will be managing their own time and developing good study habits-all while being sure to take advantage of the full social life waiting for them.

The gentlemen from Huston-Tillotson University, Bro. Dr. Eric's A Phi A fraternity brothers, represent the chapter with the highest GPA in the region! They each had amazing stories to tell about their humble beginnings and how they have been able to meet personal challenges and failures. Despite coming from crime-ridden environments where failure is common, dyslexia, slow academic progress and other challenges, all of the brothers will be graduating with honors this year!

The ladies from The University of Texas at Austin were distinguished Delta Sigma Theta sorors. They, too, shared how they simply had to dig inside to find the strength and determination to success against their challenges. One young lady went to a very poor school, with gangs and high drop-out rates, that was constantly under threat of closure and loss of accreditation. She perservered and studied hard and was still well-prepared for her first year of college. Another thought she was prepared since she took AP courses in school, but found herself completely unprepared to study properly and manage her time. After struggling her first two years, she stands ready to graduate this spring with a 3.2 GPA.

Special thanks to Bro. Dr. Eric for facilitating September's Core Focus Day! It was awesome!

September's Core Focus Challenge requires ROPP candidates to explore two different approaches to higher education pursuits. Here is the link to the Core Focus Challenge:  SEPT CORE FOCUS CHALLENGE, which the candidates received earlier this month. As always, it is due by midnight on the last day of the month!

Fella-Ship!

Three ROPP Candidates and their mentors met up for dinner and conversation. Here are a few snapshots taken when Sis. Lisa crashed the party...for just a few minutes!
Sis. LeBerta was there, too, but not when the camera was out!

 Hey! It's the birthday boy!
Diante agreed to spend part of his birthday getting to know his new mentor, Bro. Milton!


 Quincy (rear), Diante and DY get ready to chow down!



Bro. Ken, Bro. Anthony and Bro. Milton
Bro. Anthony's eating so fast he's a blur!! LOL

Do you have any pictures from when you were with your mentor? We want to see them!
Email them to roppatmetro@gmail.com.