He
is the driving force behind the success of Ferrucci Junior High
School’s College Bound Scholarship program, encouraging students who
might not consider college because of the cost to dream big and continue
their education beyond high school.
He
also works tirelessly with students in the school’s Advancement Via
Individual Determination (AVID) classes and encourages eligible
African-American youth to vie for an annual incentive award that
recognizes their academic excellence, community involvement, and good
citizenship.
School
counselor John Frazier’s dedication to seeing every student succeed was
recognized in June when he was honored with the eighth annual Puyallup
School District Peer Support Network Inspirational Award.
Frazier
was selected from among this year’s nominees for “his outstanding
cultural contributions” to Ferrucci Junior High and the school district,
said Chief Equity and Achievement Officer Gerald Denman.
Denman
and Superintendent Tim Yeomans surprised Frazier with the honor during
an impromptu award presentation in the school office as he was
surrounded by his colleagues, students, and family members.
Frazier also received a standing ovation during a recognition ceremony at the June 16 Puyallup School Board meeting.
Yeomans praised Frazier for his “relentless promotion of post-secondary opportunities.”
“Mr.
John Frazier does an outstanding job of maximizing the opportunity for
each child in our district,” Yeomans said. “His very welcoming demeanor
and kind heart are evidence of how much he cares for each child at
Ferrucci Junior High.”
Frazier
keeps college at the forefront of student’s minds by lining school
hallways with hundreds of university pennants from around the country.
One of the walls in his counseling office is also filled with posters featuring college and career opportunities.
It is critical, Frazier believes, to get students on track for post-secondary success well before they reach high school.
No barrier, financial or personal, is too great to overcome for any student who wants to pursue additional education, he said.
The
College Bound Scholarship program, for example, provides an early
commitment of state financial aid to eligible students who sign up in
junior high or middle school and fulfill a pledge.
Students
agree, for example, to graduate from a Washington high school or home
school with a 2.0 GPA or higher, be a good citizen, and not be convicted
of a felony.
The College Bound Scholarship application deadline is June 30 at the end of the student’s eighth-grade year.
Meeting
the goal of 100 percent enrollment in the College Bound Scholarship
program is an effort that does not always begin or end during school
hours. Frazier is persistent and uses every means possible, from phone
calling to emailing, to reach nearly 250 seventh and eighth graders each
year and their parents.
“I
will even show up at their house if that’s what I need to do to get
them to sign the paperwork,” he said. “It’s all about opening doors of
opportunity for them.”
This
is Frazier’s eighth year as a Ferrucci Junior High counselor. Before
that he worked three years as a counselor in Tacoma following a one-year
internship at Ferrucci Junior High.
Frazier
was the only child in his family to go to college and did so because of
a few influential people, including his high school football coach and a
neighbor who eventually became one of his in-laws. Both convinced him
he could succeed in college, he said.
He said the struggles he experienced in school growing up make him even more determined to help others.
Frazier
has given inspirational talks to junior high and high school students
in the district’s AVID classes about how he overcame struggles in
school, including his first year of college, and went on to be
successful in both college and in a career.
The
father of two gives students practical advice during his formal
presentations, as well as during his school counseling sessions.
He
encourages teens to apply and challenge themselves in school, get
involved on campus, and surround themselves with positive friends.
A
quote by author Josh Hinds posted on his counseling office wall reminds
students to stay focused on their potential. It reads, “Set each day
believing in your dreams. Know without a doubt that you were made for
amazing things.”
Frazier
graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma and enrolled at Western
Washington University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Cultural
Studies with a minor in English. He went on to earn his master’s degree
in school counseling from City University.
The
counselor has been a member of the district’s Peer Support Network for
the past three years. The Peer Support Network began meeting in 2003 to
provide opportunities for district employees to share experiences and
promote diversity and cultural competency throughout the district.
Ferrucci
Junior High Principal Steve Leifsen said, “John exemplifies what it
means to go all in for kids…We hear students come back later and discuss
the benefits they are currently reaping from the work they completed in
junior high under the watchful eye of Mr. Frazier. They explain to us
what a big deal it is to have that scholarship, or be in that college.”
Leifsen
continued, “That is one of John’s gifts — he can see the future
potential of kids long before they can and helps them realize that
potential.”