S t u d e n t P r o f i l e s

S U M M I T A C A D E M Y O I C T R A I N I N G F O R L I F E !935 Olson Memorial Highway • Minneapolis, MN 55405 • Phone: 612.377.0150 • Fax: 612.377.0156 • Web: www.saoic.org

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Demetrius Larkins simply wanted a jobthat would pay enough to support hisfamily. Summit Academy OIC providedconstruction skills training and supportthat qualified him for higher payingemployment.

You Don’t Need toWorry about North

Minneapolis

If you watch thelocal news, it’shard not to worryabout NorthMinneapolis. Thetop stories reportdrug activity,shootings andother crimes. Yeteven in the faceof long odds,people with per-sistence anddetermination do prevail.DemetriusLarkins is oneexample.

Demetrius, his wife and nine children live in NorthMinneapolis. What Demetrius wanted most was a job thatpaid enough for him to support his family.

“In Just 20 Weeks…”Demetrius Larkins received a postcard advertising SummitAcademy OIC’s construction training programs: “Train for arewarding career in just 20 weeks!” Demetrius and his wifeTare-Sheika were both working, Demetrius as a bill collectormaking $12.00 an hour. With children to support and $1,400going to rent, they did not have enough left over to cover

basic essentials such as car insurance. While it would meanliving on one salary for the length of the training, Demetriusand Tare-Sheika believed the sacrifice would be worth it inthe end.

Demetrius went to Summit to apply. He met all the entrancerequirements, but did not qualify for financial aid – norcould he pay the $4,500 cost of tuition. Fortunately,Demetrius was selected for a needs-based scholarship, available thanks to the generosity of Summit Academy’sdonors.

In April 2006, Demetrius began his 20 weeks of pre-appren-tice carpentry training, which included 600 hours of class-room and hands-on work. Students in the carpentry tracktake the following courses: carpentry mathematics; personalsafety; hand and power tools; blue print reading and sitepreparation; building materials; framing; painting; and con-crete, footing, foundation and flat work. For their hands-onproject, Demetrius and his fellow students built a completegarage – laying concrete, framing, siding, shingling andinstalling the garage door.

“Mr. Larkins had a strong desire to obtain skills that wouldqualify him for better paying employment. By the end, Mr.Larkins was one of the top two students in his class, basedon academic performance, hands-on work and personalleadership qualities,” said Gary Courtney, the carpentrydepartment coordinator.

The Best Social Service Program in the World is a Job!

The issues of poverty, crime and lack of education and job skills in North Minneapolis demand our attention. Summit Academy is partnering with other organizations in North Minneapolis on a “Northside Agenda” to create a community where adults work, children learn and life is valued. Moving 500 families out of poverty in five years is one of the Northside Agenda’s goals.

For 40 years, Summit Academy has offered job skills training to low-income adults who want to leave poverty behind. The trainingoffered at Summit is focused on high-growth, high-demand industries such as construction trades and health care.

Since 2002, Summit has placed 212 men and women in construction trade jobs. Prior to entering the program, students’ average annualincome was $6,200. After graduating, the average starting wage is $12.10 an hour, or $25,000 annually. As they advance in their trade,their wages grow incrementally. Graduates can attain journeyman-level in four years, which earns up to $65,000 a year.

Imagine the economic impact of 500 successful graduates. The combined annual income of 500 graduates at the pre-apprentice level is$12.5 million and at the journeyman-level, it is more than $32 million! Transform 500 families’ lives and you will transform a community. Help us take this work to a larger scale!

A NORTHSIDE AGENDA

December 2006

In additional to the construction skills training, all studentstake a five-week class entitled, “Working for BusinessSuccess,” which teaches interpersonal communication skills,work etiquette, goal-setting, career research and interview-ing skills. Instructor Sonja Simpson tells students thatemployers are not only looking for hard skills. They alsolook for indications of a strong work ethic, confidence and acan-do attitude.

“I’m Going to Get a Job Today”On June 14, Summit Academy hosted the ConstructionDiversity Job Fair in partnership with the Coalition forDiversity in the Construction Trades. Forty-seven contrac-tors and sub-contractors were on hand to accept applica-tions from job fair attendees. Demetrius was motivated tofind a job. He told Ms. Simpson, “I’m going to get a jobtoday.”

Demetrius completed an application for every employer atthe job fair. He returned one of them to Dan Rouser, anowner of Glacial Ridge, Inc. With several metro area proj-ects, Glacial Ridge was interested in expanding and diversi-fying their workforce. Demetrius was one of two applicantsRouser interviewed that day. Rouser said it was Demetrius’firm hand shake, direct eye contact and confidence thatmade the right impression. Soon afterwards, Rouser calledDemetrius with a job offer: $23.80 per hour with benefits.Demetrius complete his training, then started at GlacialRidge.

Now on the job, Demetrius feels his construction work is anhonest day’s pay. “At the end of the day, you feel good aboutwhat you’ve done, you can see what you’ve accomplishedand you know you’ll see it for years afterwards. You candrive by and say, ‘I built that.’” When Demetrius looks intothe future, he knows his new career will provide the long-term stability he sought for himself and his family.

A Family Support SystemDemetrius describes Summit Academy as a family. SummitAcademy’s CEO Louis King II welcomes every new class,sharing Summit’s belief that the best social service programin the world is a job. When Demetrius introduced himself ashaving nine children, Mr. King invited Demetrius to hisoffice. “I knew this man needed to make it. He had 11mouths to feed and nine children watching him. I had tohelp.”

Demetrius told Mr. King about all of his children, includingLaMel, a high school-aged son, who was expelled fromschool. Mr. King enrolled LaMel in Summit’s Pathways toIndependence (PTI), a program helping youth positivelyredirect their lives through academics and personal devel-opment activities. The PTI program helped LaMel get backon track. When the program closed out in August, Summit’sstaff helped transition LaMel to Wayzata High School,where he is currently a “B” student.

In return for what he gained at Summit Academy,Demetrius is also giving back. He recently spoke to anassembly of new students, encouraging them by sayingSummit Academy offers excellent training and support. Hechallenged them by adding, “It’s up to the individual to besuccessful. You can do it if you put your mind to it.”

“Construction work is an honestday’s pay. You can see what you’veaccomplished and you’ll see it for

years afterwards.”

Demetrius is pictured here along with his Glacial Ridge co-workers and project foreman. Glacial Ridge is the largestinstaller of pavers in the state. Glacial Ridge is based in Willmar,Minnesota and has between 18-24 employees.

S U M M I T A C A D E M Y O I C T R A I N I N G F O R L I F E !

Are You With Us? - Summit Academy OIC Thanks Our Past and Present Donors3M FoundationMike AbbottAmal AbdallaKent and Mandy AdamsWinston and Barbara

AdamsADC TelecommunicationsRobert AhlbergYassin AhmedShahir Ahmed-RiddleSean AhrarJoe AlexanderAbdinur AliAmber AliAllinaAllianz LifePhil and Sandi AllenAmeriprise FinancialWendy AmundsonThe Elmer L. & Eleanor J.

Andersen FoundationDaniel and Alice AndersonDeb AndersonVictor AndersonWilliam and Teresa

AnkenyAnonymousGeorge AntrimJoseph AnthonyPat ArchboldEleanor and Edward W.

AsplinGordon and Joyce

AsselstineThe Athwin FoundationPhillip AuClaireFrank AvalloneJaki BaileyMary Ellen BarrettTracy BarrowB. John BarryThe Barry FoundationH.M. BaskervilleAlex and Mary BatinichPaul BauknightWilliam and Barbara BeardJim and Corrine M. BeckSteve and Merry BeckBobette BeckfordThe Beim FoundationThe David Winton Bell

FoundationThe James Ford Bell

FoundationBemis Company

FoundationMartin and Zenalou

BennisMike BensonTim BensonRay and Shirley BentdahlGeorge and Karen BenzJenny BergKathleen BergSteinar BergTony BergThe Bergren Family Fund

of The Minneapolis Foundation

Best BuyHerbert BissellDale and Shirley BistodeauLarry BittingerGeorge and Karen

BlackwellGlen BlackwoodTiffany BlofieldMargie BodasDiana BoegemannDave BorchardtMarvin and Betty

BormanBor-son Construction, Inc.Boston Scientific

FoundationJoseph BostonRob BraceElizabeth Brackett and

Fred H. OlsonKaren BradyWilliam BrazilJill BrecountSteve BrehmThe Otto Bremer

FoundationPaul and Rita BrewerTamika BrewerCurtis BrockKen BroinPhilip Brooks

Donald J. and Barbara T. Brown

Gerald and Jane BrownJamil BrownSteve BrownC.T. BrudzinskiRalph and Sue A. BruinsAudrey BuckbeeKathleen BurchbyM. Nicholas Burke, MD

and Susan Slattery-BurkeTim Burkhardt and Kirby

PitmanCharles BurnesJames C. Burroughs IIThomas BurtonBush FoundationMara BusseDan and Jane Maland

CadyKatherine A. CairnsCharlie CallahanCapella UniversityWilliam and Mailand CardCargill FoundationThe Caridad CorporationGeorge and Sharon CarischTed CarlsenEdward CarlsonJerome CarlsonJoe and Pat CarlsonMarc CarrierCarolyn FoundationAngela CarterJoseph and Barbara

CavanaughJim ChafouliasRichard and Jayne

ChapmanAndy ChaseYvonne CheekTodd ChervanyChorzempa Family

FoundationMartin D. Chorzempa, Jr.Martin V. and Jan

ChorzempaBruce ChristensenRenee ChristensenDennis ChristiansenJohn Clarey and Robyn

HansenWilliam Clark and Gayleen

ClarkDexter ClarkeSarah ClowesDan and Cheryl CommersR. Michael and Sharon

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Memorial FoundationJim and Nan EmmerRobert and Hyon

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JunglesAnn and Warren KaariTamara KadlecSamuel and Sylvia KaplanMavis KarnDarla KellerJames KellerSteven KelleyJoan F. KennedyLouis J. King II and

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KnowlesDavid A. and Barbara G.

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Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation

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MorrisonMarc and Roberta

MosimanMike MuellerMichael MulliganKevin M. MurphyMarietta MurphyMary Murphy-GnatzDavid MyersAaron MysliwiecMarc Well NagelJanice and Thomas

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North Star Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation

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O’ConnellKevin and Ann O’ConnorRichard OienAdenike OlisaEdward OliverRaytosha O’NealJohn F. O’ShaughnessyAhmed OsmanClifford L. OttenAlan PageRobert PajorDean PanschPark Nicollet FoundationPatricia ParkerTimi Parker-HillDavid and Karin ParrinTara ParrishVince PecoraroTonya PennJose A. Peris and Diana

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Family FoundationTammy PiersonPillsbury FoundationCarol PineDoretha PiperMark and Sarah PlettsEdward and Peggy

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FoundationT. Denny SanfordMark SatheM. Scott SayerGeorge and Evelyn SayorJames R. ScattergoodH.C. Schaitberger Jr.Dennis SchapiroScherer Bros. Lumber

CompanyFrances SchererGretchen SchererMike and Sue SchererPeter and Geri Scherer

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S U M M I T A C A D E M Y O I C T R A I N I N G F O R L I F E !935 Olson Memorial Highway • Minneapolis, MN 55405 • Phone: 612.377.0150 • Fax: 612.377.0156 • Web: www.saoic.org

President & CEO: Louis J. King II • Student Profile by: Susan Godon • Photography by: Kristen Selander • Layout by: Robyn L. Blanks, RTR Designs