Friends:

The EE kids have truly taken to heart what we have been telling them from the start of this program: Great things are possible for them if they’re willing to work for it.

They’re setting goals and working hard every day for personal accomplishment, some of which we’d like to share with you today.

-Arian has accomplished a lot and received many awards. But he recently received a very special one presented to him by his athletic team mates and coaches:

Players’ Player of the Year -  Outstanding performances on and off the field

-Josh, a music major at Cal State San Bernardino, is performing a violin recital later this month. If you haven’t heard this talented young man play before, you can hear him in an earlier concert here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLGjqeNLwn0&feature=youtu.be

-Nik, EE’s first college graduate (UCSD ’13), has been living and working in the San Bernardino area. We’ve been fortunate to have him continue being active with EE, serving as a volunteer and an extremely valuable mentor to the kids. His fiancé, Ashley, has recently received her graduate degree from Loma Linda and professional opportunities are now taking them to San Diego.

This, of course, is my dream for the kids – that they get educated and secure great professions which will likely take them away from the San Bernardino area - but we’ll miss Nik and Ashley very much. Nik is truly invested in the kids and I know his being in San Diego won’t mean he leaves us. He’ll stay in contact and continue to be a role model for the younger EE kids.

-When we met these kids, they didn’t dare dream beyond their own backyard. It’s very rewarding to watch them now as they spread their wings and fly, realizing that they have a wealth of opportunities and dreaming big is exactly what they should be doing.

Diana has been selected as a delegate from California to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. She’ll be flying to Boston in June to attend that event and explore the East coast.

Johana (left, below) and Karen are taking a school trip to Washington, DC. The agenda is an impressive one, and includes visits to many historical sites in our nation’s capital.

-Of our seven June high school graduates, five have made their final decisions on next steps:

Andrew:   Cal State Humboldt

Ian:          Arizona State University

Moses:     San Francisco State University

Nancy:     University of Redlands

Israel:      U.S. Army

This is an exciting time as we prepare these kids to take the next big step.

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On the athletic side, we had many great performances at the recent Desert Triathlon/Duathlon.  Once again, for the little ones we used Race Angels, who protected and encouraged them on the bike and run courses. This not only helps the kids have a good time and work harder, but it gives me a lot of comfort knowing the Angels are out on the roads making sure our kids all come home safely. A special thanks to all these folks who step up and do such a great service for us.

Nancy and Simone

Raymond and Reese

Laura & Nancy, left, and Arian & Jamie
   

As you can see, good things are happening with all our kids, from seven years old to college age and beyond. Every one of them now believes that he/she can have a bright future and that Exceeding Expectations is committed to making that happen. They also understand that EE and our commitment to them comes from you – our supporters. Without your help, financial and otherwise, we couldn’t keep our commitment to the kids. With your support, these kids can truly exceed expectations!

Thank you very much for being a part of this.

Cherie