Teens getting education in how to keep the faith

Teresa Hinds

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997 | 11:08 a.m.

Micheal and Mechelle Foster learned two years ago about personal hardship, when their brothers were shot back East. One died and one became paralyzed.

Now they are learning about financial hardship, at a time when they are poised to overcome all the adversity their lives have so far endured.

With help from Metro Police Sgt. Will Minor, however, they may learn something else out of all this: There's always hope if your goals are set on something as positive as a college education.

Having written essays about how their lives were affected when their brothers were shot, the twins were awarded scholarships upon graduating six months ago from Cimarron-Memorial High School. The scholarships helped defray expenses for Micheal at Fresno State University in California and for Mechelle at Spellman College in Georgia.

News accounts at the time painted pictures of optimism for the two college-bound high-school graduates.

Their mother, Lucille Foster, a clerk at the MGM Grand, was counting on being able to save money during the fall semester, in order to help her kids out as they went back for their spring semesters.

She hadn't planned on getting pneumonia, which has kept her away from her job since October.

So now, without a total of $3,500 -- $1,800 for Micheal and $1,700 for Mechelle -- their college educations will be on hold indefinitely.

"I told them to come home (for Christmas), bring everything they had taken with them just in case they could not go back and we would work on it through the holiday," she said. "The kids came home and started praying. They believe God will open a door for them, that he would not let them go this far and not keep those doors open."

On Christmas Eve Lucille Foster was listening to "Police Officers Promoting Unity in the Community" a radio show hosted by Sgt. Minor.

"He was talking about the black youth and how much they are negatively involved in the justice system," she said. "He was saying how they need to be redirected, to apply for scholarships, loans and grants and so on and bring themselves out of the system and get into college."

Foster called Minor and told him about her children, and their goals for college. Minor listened and understood right away that Lucille Foster was right, that here were a couple of kids who deserved some help.

He decided to help out on a fund-raising campaign, to get the money that will keep Micheal and Mechelle in school.

"In my job you make evaluations of situations in a split second and as you go through your investigation you find out if you're right or wrong," Minor said. "I've talked with the deans at their school and have spoken with the mother and other people in the community. I know this is the right thing to do."

Conventional college loans are not possible, as Lucille Foster's credit was damaged when she took time off in 1995. It was in August of that year that her older sons, twins Dwayne and Dwight, were victims of a shooting in Elizabeth, N.J. She took care of funeral arrangements for her son Dwayne and spent time taking care of Dwight, paralyzed from the waist down. It was this time period that Micheal and Mechelle focused on in their essays.

So far there have been pledges from the Black Police Association of Nevada and the Black Tavern Owners, and Minor said he has made contact with the local chapter of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives, which in turn is going to make calls asking for donations.

But is there enough time to raise $3,500?

"We've got less than a week, and with the holiday season and the amount of money they need, I don't know," Minor said.

"The whole thing boils down to we're walking on faith," Lucille Foster said. "We're hoping God is going to open someone's heart, or several people's hearts to help out.

She has set up a special account at Westar Federal Credit Union in Micheal and Mechelle's name for those who want to make a donation.

Meanwhile, Mechelle and Micheal are keeping their spirits up.

"If I don't go back (to Spellman) that doesn't mean I won't go to school," Mechelle said. "I'd go to community college or UNLV and try to go back to Spellman next fall."

Micheal, who walked onto Fresno's football team as a linebacker, has his mother's spiritual take on the situation.

"Whatever happens is for the best. If we don't go back the Lord has something better in store for us."