Mark the date: 13th Annual Charity Basketball Tournament & Community Festival
May 6th, 2008 by Lisa Singh
Her plan was to teach just one year. But once Susie Kay walked into H.D. Woodson High School in Ward 7, East of the Anacostia River, something happened: Her students’ perseverance soon inspired her to stay for more than a decade. Along the way, Kay founded the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund. Since 1996, HDSF has helped nearly 900 high-achieving students realize their dreams of attending college. In the following Q&A, Kay discusses HDSF, and the upcoming 13th Annual Charity Basketball Tournament & Community Festival, an event free and open to the public, in which more than 2,000 people will come together to celebrate high-achieving students from the District’s public schools.
What is your background?
Susie Kay: I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and I grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. My father served in the U.S. Navy for 32 years as a captain. I studied political science at American University. After graduation I worked on Capitol Hill. But I quickly decided I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to focus on racial and economic reconciliation and empowerment for those with limited resources and opportunities.
After working on Capitol Hill I decided to teach 12th grade American Government at H.D. Woodson High School in Ward 7, East of the Anacostia River. At the time H.D. Woodson was sandwiched between several blighted public housing projects. My plan was to teach for one year. But once I began teaching at H.D. Woodson I was quickly drawn to my students and inspired by their perseverance and remained there for more than a decade.
How did the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund get started?
Susie Kay: The vast majority of my students were very driven and talented. They did not lack intellect or discipline. They did, however, lack a basic building block for educational success: a familial support system to help them successfully navigate their way through the college application process. I would offer my students support by connecting them to some of my friends, Capitol Hill staffers and members of the local business community, who would serve as informal mentors and links to professional internship opportunities. Many of these same friends would visit my classroom and speak to my students about their experiences in college and in their careers. Early on I began to see a connection and a spark. I saw my students begin to believe in their dreams of becoming the first person in their immediate families to attend college. After a while those same students, through hard work and perseverance, would turn those dreams into reality. And at the same time I noticed a change in many of my friends, who were connecting with young people they would not ordinarily have had the pleasure of interacting with. For many of them a sense of satisfaction arose from extending themselves to the bright young people of our future. It was amazing because I was witnessing human bridges being built.
In June 1996 I decided to organize a daylong, 3-on-3 charity basketball game to raise money for academic college scholarships to be awarded to some of my students. I named the organization after the documentary “Hoop Dreams.” I had no idea the tournament would be a success or that an organization would emerge from that one day. HDSF is no longer a once a year event. We operate yearlong programs that continuously engage and assist our students. Since 1996 we’ve incorporated many of the practices I began in my classroom prior to HDSF, like a mentoring and internship program. We also partner with the Princeton Review to offer our students free SAT preparatory courses. The majority of our students continue to come from schools located in the District’s inner-city in Wards 7 and 8.
Since 1996, HDSF has helped nearly 900 high-achieving students realize their dreams of attending college. We have also awarded more than $3 million in academic college scholarships. We recently added an alumni support program to work with the more than 900 students we have helped since 1996.
How did you choose the name Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund?
Susie Kay: Throughout the year we have essentially nothing to do with basketball. We provide our students internships at local companies and link them with dedicated working professionals to serve as mentors and work to create multi level support systems. The year I organized the first charity basketball tournament was the same year the documentary Hoop Dreams was released. The documentary chronicled the lives of two inner-city high school basketball stars as they navigated their way through school and pursued their dreams of playing professional basketball. I saw many of my students’ stories being told through the two young men chronicled in the documentary. Most of my students did not have dreams of playing professional basketball. They did, however, share a passion for success similar to the two youths in the documentary. Like the two stars of the documentary my students were determined to succeed despite the obstacles placed in their way.
What inspires you to keep HDSF going?
Susie Kay: In the 12 years since I founded HDSF I continue to pull my inspiration from my students, who are immensely talented and hard-working young people who don’t give up. My students, like young people from around the country, have dreams. As high school freshmen they may dream about their senior prom. A year or two later they may envision themselves walking across a stage, their hands firmly clutching a diploma. And more often than not they dream of attending college and participating in an academic culture that for many Americans has become standard practice. But the reality for my students is that many of them have deal with inadequate schools facilities coupled with a broken or nonexistent network of individuals to guide them through the post-secondary process.
That’s why we long ago moved beyond solely awarding scholarship dollars. We operate a number of year-long major programs: a mentoring program that positively impacts the lives of our students as well as our mentors; a yearlong internship program, free Princeton Review SAT preparatory courses provided by the Princeton Review; and our academic scholarship program that we award to our graduating high school seniors. These are all wrapped around our organizational work to build relationships and bring people together from different sectors of the Washington, DC region to support each other and invest in each others lives.
Through HDSF we get the opportunity to address national issues surrounding equality in education at a local level. By investing in our youth and offering them the support needed to achieve their academic dreams we are building a stronger future for our children.
Who are some of the business leaders involved in your program?
Susie Kay: From very early on, much of the success of HDSF has been integrally connected to the relationships and the support of the regional business community. None of this could have been possible without the aid of corporate leaders and their commitment to the communities where they live and do business. For example, a leading Northern Virginia technology company, EDS, was the Founding Sponsor of HDSF 10 years ago.
Some individuals include Dennis L. Stolkey, Morris Biggers,Cozy Bailey and Bill Sweeney of EDS, George Newstrom of Lee Technologies, Pat McGettigan, Ted Leonsis, Dick Walker, Ernie Jarvis, Jim Kimsey, Bruce Levenson, Fernando Murias, Frank Ross, Freddie Mac, Paul and Virginia Singh, Tien Wong, Raul Fernandez, Mark Ein, Devin Schain, Kathy Etemad Hollinger, Ann and Tom Friedman, Michael Sternberg, Larry Ward, Jimmy Lynn, Michael O’Neil, Curtis Symonds, Dan Cohen, Donella Brockington, Jerry Sachs, Steve Boyd, Ed Albert and Miriam Pollin … just to name a few. There have been a lot of special individuals and companies and foundations that have been supportive at different times over the past 12 years.
You have an event coming up in June. Tell us about the event.
Susie Kay: Our 13th Annual Charity Basketball Tournament & Community Festival, on June 14, 2008, is free and open to the public. We would like everyone to join us from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 6th Streets N.W. More than 2,000 people will come together as we celebrate high-achieving students from the District’s public schools. The charity basketball tournament is our signature event that brings together a diverse group that includes high school students, political leaders, community activists, business leaders, media personalities, professional basketball players and local celebrities. This event celebrates the genesis of our organization and the spirit of bringing our youth together with local professionals.
More than 100 teams composed of both male and female players of all ages and physical abilities will compete in the tournament. The teams will compete for trophies and prizes. Professional referees will officiate the games. If you’re not familiar with HDSF it is a great time for you to join us as a player or spectator. For additional information visit us at hoopdreams.org
What is something most people don’t realize about HDSF?
Susie Kay: The HDSF experience is a unique and powerful experience for our students and adult participants. We provide an opportunity for people to link up, who normally don’t come together. Our organization is much more than a college access program because we use a comprehensive approach to working with young people.
Many of our students do not take typical routes to success. HDSF offers them a support system that extends beyond financial assistance. We provide them with valuable connections to local professionals who serve to enhance their overall lives in addition to their academic careers.
How can our readers get involved?
Susie Kay: We are always seeking talented individuals to help us sustain our organization and invest in our students. To learn more about HDSF and how you can become a mentor, volunteer, internship provider or to make a donation visit our website, hoopdreams.org or call us at (202) 414-4774.
