“Football is my lifesaver…” 16 year-old Don has big plans for his future, including college and the NFL. Football has been a huge part of his life and he’s excited to continue with Rockbridge High School’s summer camp. Don sees football as a way to develop discipline, something that will help with his academic goals. Those who know Don well can attest to his commitment to being a well-rounded individual both on and off the field. Respecting his family, surrounding himself with friends who set good examples, and saving money are all at the top of his priority list. Look for Don on the field this fall as he pursues a Division I scholarship!

I want to introduce you to four awesome Day Dreams Kids that are all from the same family — Nyah, Marcus, Neela and Nina. We first awarded these kids scholarships last year, but renewed their scholarships again this year after they each completed their community service hours and we received word from their coaches/instructors and teachers that they had done their best in their activity and in the classroom.

Nina, 4, received funding to participate in School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet classes this summer, as well as an Access Arts Summer Camp and summing lessons through MizzouRec. Nina loves the water and enjoys dance tremendously. She’s very excited to learn how to swim (although she demonstrated for me how long she could hold her breath – pretty impressive!), as well as continue with ballet. She loves sparkly blue and wants to be a lawyer when she grows up! She also really like Beyonce. Her mom said that something special about Nina is that she “has a great smile, is very positive and polite, and can roll with it.” Some goals Nina has for this year are to learn her letters and count to 100. She wants to be able to hold her breather under water and leaner different ballet positions. She wants to become a better listener, and go to sleep on time.

Neela, 8, received a scholarship to attend YMCA Camp Lakewood in Potosi, Missouri. She said she loves camp because it’s “really fun and cool.” Her favorite parts are going swimming, learning to do lots of art and riding horses. Her favorites include the color pink, reading, Ariana Grande, and playing dolls. Neela’s mom said the she is “very much about family. She is very loyal to her siblings.” In the classroom, Neela wants to be more proficient in reading and math. She would also like to become more independent at camp this year, and be a helpful friend. For health goals, she wants to try to get enough sleep and eat her vegetables.

Marcus (who goes by MJ), 9, will be playing for the Mid MO Elite basketball team this year. MJ really like playing basketball because he said he has some great coaches and teammates. He would like to play in the NBA someday and his role model is Steph Curry. I asked him about Steph’s chances to make it back from his injury for the championship, and he didn’t think it was likely. MJ’s favorite color is green and his favorite subject in school is reading. Something special about him is that he’s really good at math. A few goals that MJ has are to work on his handwriting, make 50 jump shots, help out his community, and not eat out as much. You and me both, kid.

Nyah, 13, received a scholarship to attend the WashU Summer Challenge camp at Washington University in St. Louis this summer. As the oldest child, Nyah partners up with Nina to help her out, and also took charge in arranging her siblings for the group photo. She wants to participate in the Summer Challenge because “Many people that go there end up being very successful.” She’s most excited to learn about anatomy at the camp. Favorites include the color purple, English class and dancing. She would like to be a dancer when she grows up and looks up to Misty Copeland and her mom. Nyah would like to raise her grades in Spanish and English class next year, become a strong learner at camp and get to know some new people at WashU. She also has goals to help her mom out more with her siblings and to get more sleep and eat more salad.

Good luck to these awesome kids this summer with their activities!

We are so thrilled to announce that 11-year-old Aiyanna, a Day Dreams Foundation scholarship recipient, was informed last week that she was accepted into the Dance Theatre of Harlem Summer Intensive in New York. Out of over 800 students nationally and internationally who auditioned, Aiyanna was one of the chosen few. Aiyanna will have expenses in travel, tuition, room and board during this amazing journey so her family is fundraising to help make this trip possible. The Day Dreams Foundation has a $500 maximum scholarship per year, per child. So, we are trying to help her with the fundraising she is doing on her own! Her family is selling frozen pizzas from Shakespeare’s to try to put a dent in the $4,000 needed for the trip. They have set a goal of 200 pizzas. Let’s help them get there! Aiyanna will get $5 for each pizza sold.

Here’s a few things to know about the fundraiser:

• Please make checks payable to: Phyllis Williams (Aiyanna’s mom)
• You can turn in checks or cash to any Day Dreams Foundation board member and we’ll get it to Aiyanna’s mom.
• Cost per pizza: $12
• Payment & Orders must be received by: Wednesday, March 9, 2016
• Frozen Pizza will be delivered: Thursday, March 24, 2016

To order a pizza, please fill out this Google form:

Kanisha is a 15-year-old rising basketball star for Rock Bridge High School. She said that she loves playing basketball because, “it keeps me out of trouble and helps me to meet a lot of new people and gives me a promising future.” When Kanisha isn’t hitting the hardwood she’s working hard to bring her dream of becoming an entrepreneur to life. She hopes to get there one day through studying hard and becoming a better leader. She has some lofty goals she would like to one day achieve, but Kanisha knows that she has to get better every day to become the person she hopes to be. She said that she has a goal of “becoming known as someone who will always be there for you” and hopes that she can show that by becoming closer to her teammates. She is a wonderful student and said that she would like to make the A Honor Roll next semester. Kanisha is the ideal Day Dreams scholarship recipient because she would like to eat healthier, volunteer more, and because she says, “I’m great at basically every sport.” Welcome to Day Dreams, Kanisha!

Maria: 6 year-old Maria is quick to give an inviting smile and show off her self-taught gymnastics skills. “That was a well executed hand-stand! Who taught you that??” Maria: “…myself!” After putting on her new Day Dreams t-shirt, Maria struck a quick pose and was right away back to hand-stands and cartwheels. Maria’s scholarship will allow her to participate in a tumbling class at Flipz USA! This class will help build a foundation for her to become a future cheerleader. Maria is especially excited to pick out her first leotard! From the performance she gave me, it’s clear Maria will be an excellent fit in her new tumbling class. Welcome to the Day Dreams team!

Marcus: Meet 9 year-old Marcus! Always wanting to be the fastest runner, aiming for plenty of goals, and ultimately to be like his father, Marcus is an aspiring soccer star! When he is old enough, Marcus hopes to play on the same team as his father. On a typical weeknight Marcus can be found giving it his all on the indoor soccer court, and continues even after the game with some kicking practice with his father. Described by his teachers as an encouraging and hard working student, Marcus especially enjoys art, reading, and physical education. Marcus’ dreams don’t stop on the soccer field! His ultimate goal is to “become a soldier in the Army!” A person doesn’t have to know Marcus for long to see that he will put his Day Dreams scholarship to great use, spreading positive energy and making those goals!

Meet Ski’Asia! Ski-Asia is a motivated and intelligent 7th grader who has been playing basketball since 3rd grade and can light up a room with her infectious style. She dreams of one day playing in the WNBA and considers Skylar Green one of her inspirations and role models. But Ski’Asia has also had a lot of success off the basketball court as well. She says Social Studies and Math are to of her favorite subjects, and along with carrying a 3.4 GPA this semester, she is also involved with Mac Scholars and Avid through her school. Ski’Asia’s teachers say she is passionate, full of wisdom, and has a natural ability to adapt to new situations. Having met Ski’Asia myself, I can definitely agree. Welcome to Day Dreams Ski’Asia!

“Hey there, you must be Brianna.”

“Yes, I really am! And this is my sister, Marley,” Brianna says cheerfully as she sat talking, laughing, and sharing a snack with her baby sister in the library.

“So, why do you want to participate in ballet?”

“Well, because it’s fun!”

“What sorts of things are you excited to learn from this activity?”

“Umm…ballet?”

So went the meeting to award a scholarship to Brianna, a kind, goofy, and imaginative 10-year-old who is enthusiastic about ballet, among many other things. Her favorite color, something her mom said is highly variable, is black on this day. She loves writing, reading, math, and art and is an astute student. As a role model, she looks up to her mom, and hopes that her baby sister will look up to her in this way some day (and I’m certain she will). Some of her goals for the semester include healthy eating, to stay calm in stressful situations, and to “practice everything” that she can remember.

It was a joy to talk with Brianna, her mother, and her little sister during our meeting. I learned about how helpful and compassionate Brianna is with her family and at school, and about her sprightly and positive approach toward life. I learned about her flexibility and work ethic, transitioning on a few occasions between languages and cultures, in Columbia and Mexico (the country). I learned about how ballet classes have impacted her, through exercise, learning about commitment, fostering friendships, and creating a space for fun, to be a kid. Brianna, her family, and the Day Dreams Foundation team are all very excited and grateful for Brianna to be able to participate in ballet at the School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet for another year. Who knows? We might just have the next Anna Pavlova in our midst.

“Yes, a ballet dancer. That’s what I want to be when I grow up. Well, either that or a miner… someone who looks for interesting things that nobody has even thought up yet.”

We’ll see if she pursues ballet, mining, or any number of additional undertakings in the future. We’re delighted that she is happy to participate in dance classes now.