I met Eric just like I met a couple hundred teenagers over the past several summers. He was interested in a summer program I ran as a part of the Michigan Works system. He heard about the program from one of his high school teachers, completed an application, and I went to the school to interview him and a group of other students who applied. This crew would become a part of my summer of 2017.
I met with six students that day. We sat around a large conference table, introduced ourselves, and I reviewed the program. I explained it was a two week commitment, forty hours per week, with absolutely no cash payments. The students would receive a $1,500 scholarship to Baker College and another $1,000 to Eastern Michigan University. The scholarships have value only if you attend the schools. There would be additional scholarships awarded to the “winning members” of the team that did the best job solving a problem for an area business. A panel of judges would listen to nine different teams representing manufacturers, health care providers, and non-profit agencies.
As we talked, I learned a bit about the students. We discussed their plans after high school. Most revealed they didn’t have a clue. That was the norm. I was hopeful the two weeks would help bring a bit of clarity to their uncertainty. Each year working at the business sites helped several students confirm their intended career path, while others abandoned ship and decided to focus on other things. Both revelations were helpful.
I took note of Eric because, while he was very interactive with his fellow students, he avoided eye contact with me. He seemed particularly close to two girls in the group. They did a lot of giggling as the students gathered. I made a mental note to be sure I split this trio for the two weeks.
The following week I emailed each of the students, gave them their assigned location, and waited for them to confirm their willingness to move forward. Everyone sent a confirmation.
My meetings with students took place in late May and early June. The program ran the second and third weeks of July. I knew from past experience that two or three students would drop out by opening day. Once assigned to a team, the teacher/leader of the group kept in contact with the students. I supported each group by answering questions and providing everyone’s contact information..
On the first day of the projects, I drove to each site to check on the teams to make sure that everyone was moving forward. I started the day with my first visit at 8:00 a.m. and finished around 4:00. The teachers had my phone number so they could reach out to me prior to my visit as needed. No one ever contacted me on the opening day morning until the summer of 2017. Andrew, the teacher assigned to be Eric’s leader, called to report that Eric and another student, Tom, were no shows. A third member of the team knew Tom and was trying to get in touch with him. No one knew Eric, and Andrew’s calls to Eric’s phone went unanswered.
I had just left my first team meeting when I received Andrew’s call. I carry everyone’s application with their contact information during the entire two week process. I told Andrew I would be in touch with Eric’s parents and get back to him. I called Eric’s home number and his mom answered. I explained who I was and why I was calling.
“Eric’s at his dad’s. I’ll go over and get him. I’ll deliver him myself.”
“Great. Thanks.”
I called Andrew to let him know that Eric was being delivered by his mother. I made the remainder of my stops to the various business sites and was happy I had dealt with the only opening day problem first thing in the morning. Other than the early morning glitch with Eric, everything was moving forward as expected.
My final stop was the project led by Andrew. I arrived at 3:30, made my way inside, and discovered Eric was still missing.
TBC