Gators helping Gators: Gateway students provide for classmates

Gateway High School students in the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy showcased their Gators Helping Gators impact project at a May 4 ceremony.

For this year’s project, the group of young leaders chose to impact students in their school district who are homeless, face crisis situations and/or are in the foster care system.

In partnership with Gateway social workers, the students created a space filled with resources for those students and their families.

The goal was simple. Gateway students set out to meet short-term, tangible needs that they believe will result in meeting students’ long-term intangible needs, such as improved mental and emotional health, and academic attendance and performance.

The old high school police office was transformed into the Gators Helping Gators Closet with shelving units and storage for items such as household goods, linens and towels, clothing, toiletries and other materials as requested by the social workers and selected by Chick-fil-A Leader Academy students. Students raised money and purchased everything to be stored in the room.

Chick-fil-A liaison Brian Wenger sponsored some shelves, and Gateway student Brody Clemens designed the door.

On May 4, academy students spent the day setting up the room, organizing items and stocking the shelves. The students’ efforts culminated that afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Gateway student Zylan Sims spoke at the ribbon cutting about the impact working on this project has had on her life.

“It took a lot of hard work but it’s definitely worth it. Working on something that you know will impact a kid’s life gives you a sense of purpose,” Sims said.

The room will be open for the school social workers to use for years to come.

The Chick-fil-A Leader Academy is a national high school leadership program sponsored by Chick-fil-A operators, focused on making impact through action.