Kariem McCormick
2005 MAX Fellow
James P. Timilty Middle School (now closed), Boston, MA
Kariem wrote his MAXCourage award-winning essay “in a subject [he] was not particularly fond of — ELA,” on trying out for the basketball team. Even though he did not make the team, he believes he found courage in being able to try, and to try again. (He persevered and made the team in other years — a happy ending not seen in our 2005 book!) Receiving the award was tremendous for his confidence: He received other academic achievement awards as president of his debate team in high school, and later had his original music featured in a national hip-hop magazine. Today, he works for Boston Public Schools as a retention fellow.
Kariem said:
“Honestly, getting that award, in front of everyone, boosted my confidence greatly, because those [other] students. My peers had seen me fail many times, they had seen me be the subject of disruption of the classroom many times… It gave me the sense that I can actually be just as good if not better than everyone else… receiving the award was a pivotal moment for me…“There is truly no way to measure the effects that my MAXCourage experience has had on my confidence, but I can honestly say that I had the courage to face all of my fears from that point on.”
Kariem’s Essay
Celeste Henry-Williams, Teacher
James P. Timility Middle School
“Courage means believing and knowing that you can succeed at something.”
To me, courage is not doing something because a bigger, stronger, and older kid told you to do it or doing something even though a lot of people said you were not as good as everyone else. Courage means believing and knowing that you can succeed at something. It means taking your own lead and not jumping off a 30-foot high cliff into the water just because everyone else is. Courage is simple. It’s not as complex as it sounds.
On a December afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club, there was a poster on a wall. The poster read that there would be basketball try-outs in three days. I was looking at the poster with a group of boys when I said out loud,” I am going to try-out!”. One of the boys in the group said, “I seen you play, you ain’t that good.” Then they left. My confidence and self-esteem after that were low. I left the Club feeling embarrassed.
When I went home that night, I thought about what the group of boys said about my skills. I decided that I would prove them wrong. Two days before the try-outs, I began to practice. I practiced at the Boys & Girls Club and in a friend’s backyard. I practiced, practiced, and practiced. I worked on my outside shots, lay-ups, and defense.
Finally, on the day of the try-outs everyone was doing drills, running laps, or doing suicides (running up and down the court while touching every line). I noticed that everyone was taller than I was, but I wasn’t intimidated. When try-outs started we were doing lay-ups with our left and right hands.
I made a few shots, but nobody seemed to notice. We transitioned to three-pointers and it was then that I made my first three-point shot. When the basketball went through the net, I thought, “Nothing can stop me now.” The coach gave me praise and so did the other players.
The next day was the final try-out. I did not make the team, but I know I did my best. I didn’t let what other people thought stop me from trying. To me that is courage.