Showing 5 results for:

Missouri

by Topic

All results

5
14-Year-Old DeJuan Strickland Created A GoFundMe Campaign And Paid Off His Former School's Lunch Debt

A simple act of kindness can go a long way. Missouri student DeJuan Strickland paid it forward to McCurdy Elementary School, his former school in Florissant, MO, by paying off students’ lunch debt, ABC News reports. The 14-year-old’s idea to create a GoFundMe fundraiser for the school was sparked by his own experience during his elementary days when he was not able to afford school lunch.

Ngozi Nwanji

Aug 11, 2023

9-Year-Old Paris Williams Started A Foundation To Support People Facing Homelessness In St. Louis

This nine-year-old’s story serves as a reminder that children are truly the future.

Ngozi Nwanji

Apr 21, 2023

Darrion Cockrell Joined A Gang At Age 10. Now, He's Missouri's Teacher of the Year

By age 10, Darrion Cockrell was in a gang, bu now, the Missouri educator is the Teacher of the Year, named by the Missouri Department of Education in October. According to CNN, Cockrell is a physical education teacher at Crestwood Elementary who endured a hard upbringing in St. Louis. “I was born to a drug-addicted mother who had two of her six kids by the age of 16,” Cockrell said. “My father was murdered when I was 4, and I began my journey in and out of the foster care system not long after my 6th birthday.” As a result, he turned to the streets but credits his teachers who set him on a better path. For that, he helps guides his own students “towards long-term physical and mental wellness.” “Missouri is fortunate to have so many high-quality educators, and Darrion will be a wonderful representative as our state’s Teacher of the Year,” said Margie Vandeven, the state’s commissioner of education. In his acceptance speech, Cockrell expresses the power educators have to change the...

Niki McGloster

Dec 15, 2020

Former NBA Players Al Harrington, Larry Hughes Team Up to Open Cannabis Store

These former NBA players are meeting up once more, but this time it’s bigger than just hoops! Larry Hughes and Al Harrington will work together to continue to expand Harrington’s cannabis business in St. Louis. Previously Harrington announced that the two will work together on his Viola brand when he opens a cultivation and processing center along with two cannabis dispensaries early next year, according to Black Enterprise . The new venture is a partnership with Harrington and his cannabis company, Village Brands, and will be called Viola Missouri (VMO). “I am honored to bring VMO to life in St. Louis. Over the course of my career in the NBA, and since my retirement, I have focused my energy and resources on being a positive influence in this community,” said Hughes in a written statement. “I have championed efforts to break the stigma around mental health and spent a great deal of time helping to develop this city’s young leaders. VMO will serve the medical needs of our community,...

Shanique Yates

Nov 13, 2020