tIP
Truancy Intervention Project
By Caren Cloud
Truancy Intervention Project of Georgia
[email protected]
L
atoya Riley became involved in the Truancy Intervention Project at the age of 14 while attending Bunche
Middle School. She was living with her maternal
grandfather, affectionately known as “Paw-Paw”, after
she suffered the deaths of both of her parents and maternal grandmother before the age of five. The youngest of
seven with many years between herself and her
siblings, Latoya was raised as an only child with
few friends and no close relationships within her
family. Never having received any counseling or
therapy to deal with tremendous losses she suffered, Latoya began to act out in school. While
she was a gifted student and managed to maintain mostly passing grades, her attendance in
classes and at school became sporadic over the
course of her eighth grade year.
In May 2013, with friends, family and supporters looking on,
Latoya walked across the stage, full of emotion, to receive
her high school diploma. Now enrolled in Georgia Perimeter
College with the aid of scholarships from TIP and other sources,
Latoya is another shining example of the important role of TIP
and its volunteers in the lives of Atlanta’s students.
In an effort to intervene early, Latoya was referred
to TIP. Over the course of her involvement with
TIP, Latoya made many strides with the support of
her volunteer, school social worker and probation
officer. While she was not without setbacks,
Latoya made such strides her first year, that she
was honored at TIP’s end of the year awards
program for her significant improvements in
attendance and academics. As she began her
senior year of high school, the TIP case closed and
behind her, Latoya suffered another devastating
loss, that of her beloved grandfather. She found
herself at the age of eighteen with no home, no
parents or guardians and no support system in
place to keep her motivated and encouraged. With
the news of her grandfather’s passing, Latoya’s
support system through TIP, the court and her
school immediately sprang into action to provide
her with the tools she needed to stay focused and
keep moving forward.
Latoya Riley, former TIP student, currently a freshman at
Georgia Perimeter College
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
October 2013
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
49