The Kendall family unlocked their leadership potential at Student U. Lonnie and Makyla Kendall both joined Student U as rising 6th graders, and were supported at every turn by their mother, Nicole. Lonnie is now an alumni and staff member, and Makyla is an active student in the College Program. A snapshot of their journeys at Student U is in the video below. 

Ms. Kendall, Lonnie, and Makyla’s stories are Student U’s mission in action. At every step of their journey, we at Student U help our kids feel loved and successful. Although we boast an 11-year pipeline of services, many students are with us for much longer-building careers and futures on the foundation laid by their potential, hard work, and loving support here at Student U. 

The Kendalls are just one of the hundreds of families that make up the Student U community every year, where success comes from letting our values lead-values like Share your Brilliance, Dream Fearlessly, Respect Yourself and Others, Energize your Community, Achieve Greatness, and Discover your Best Self-then letting strategic, evidence-based interventions transform potential into success. 

Will you join us to support more families like the Kendalls by making a financial contribution to Student U this year? Student U relies on donations from individuals like you to achieve our potential as an organization-and as a community. We need your support. Together, we can help shape a new future for our city by creating a Durham where everyone’s potential to succeed is met with just systems and equitable opportunity. 

Meet The Leaders Transforming Our City

Lonnie

Lonnie has held several roles at Student U and recently joined the staff as a Middle School Program Coordinator. He believes his de facto role is to spread joy. “At Student U, our vision is for all students to be successful. My goal is for students to feel successful and I make sure that all of my students have a smile on their face at some point during the day.”

Makyla

Makyla has grown her leadership skills since joining Student U, where she has been encouraged to speak up and embrace her unique gifts. This summer, she returned to Student U to teach high school students. “I chose a career in education because I wanted to come back to teach and show the kids that I was where they are. I want to help them because I was them.”

Nicole

Nicole has also stepped into an advocacy role as a Student U board member, where she speaks up with a parent’s perspective and seeks to change each student’s world through love: “I want each child to know that there is someone at Student U who sees them and hears them.”