We've talked to different businesses in community where the kids would work at the hospital, Wal-Mart, Holiday Inn Express ... We could do more if we had more time and more manpower. But that is the most successful program they have been involved in.

We served a wide variety of kids in work-based learning. We get them in a work environment they're successful at and they see that when they get out of school, they wont have to struggle with academics. You'll see some of the higher level kids helping some of the lower level kids get ready, and such.

We're starting to teach these students how to advocate for themselves, because we've seen a problem where they leave high school or their work environment and they don't have that assistance that they're used to. We weed them off a little bit, so once they're in the work world they can be their own person.

Kwanzaa is a holiday that should be celebrated by everyone, not just the black community.

I was thinking about how the kids in New Orleans wouldn't have a good holiday. They'd lost everything. I wanted to make them feel like someone cared about them.

It is fun to work in the school and I love working with the kids.