Graduation day special to twins

Teresa Hinds

Monday, June 2, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

IN an ironic twist of fate, the tragedy that shattered the lives of Micheal and Mechelle Foster is the key to their future.

The recipients of scholarships and admission to prestigious universities, the twins were to graduate today from Cimarron-Memorial High School. But just a year and a half ago, adversity that few can relate to engulfed the Foster family.

Essays about overcoming adversity netted Micheal the Horacio Algier Scholarship and admission to Fresno State University in California and Mechelle the Rod McClure Memorial Scholarship and admission to Spellman College in Georgia.

The tragedy the two wrote about began in August 1995.

That was when two older Foster brothers, Dwayne and Dwight, were the victims of a convenience store robbery in Elizabeth, N.J. The two brothers, also twins, were just five days away from their 21st birthday.

Dwayne would never see his -- he was shot and killed. Dwight, who had just become a father three days earlier, was also shot. He ushered in his 21st birthday paralyzed from the waist down.

Mechelle accompanied her mother, Lucille, to New Jersey to take care of funeral arrangements for Dwayne and to take care of their surviving brother and son, Dwight.

Micheal stayed behind. Vernon Fox, Micheal's best friend, and his family took care of Micheal during the four months his mother and sister were away.

"It was really hard," Michael said just before joining a graduation party at H.P. Fitzgerald Elementary School on Sunday for his friend Vernon. "I missed the first two weeks of school and had to play catch-up all year long. I really struggled."

Micheal said his grade point average plummeted from a 3.2 to "barely a 2.0."

While in New Jersey, Mechelle said she was always afraid. "The school was really big and I had no friends the whole time I was there. I was always really scared, I thought (because of what had happened to her brothers) people would mess with me. They didn't, but I was really scared."

"I read Mechelle's essay," said "Coach" C.J. Hall, a counseling coordinator at Cimarron. "It explained how it was such a tragic time for her and her mom. They had no heat, no electricity in the place they were staying to try to get things together.

"Mechelle went to school and helped her mom. She said if it wasn't for the Lord and her belief, she wouldn't have made it. The essay damn near made me cry."

Mechelle's dream

It was Mechelle's dream, passed on from her mother, to go to Spellman College. Hall contacted Spellman only to find out the deadline had passed for applications to the all-black school and that enrollment for incoming freshmen was full.

"I explained that this little girl was very special, and they said for her to write an essay," Hall said. "They read the application and the essay, and they must have found something special in their hearts to let her in."

She was also awarded the Rod McClure Memorial Scholarship, in honor of the former Cimarron student who was killed in a traffic accident last Dec. 26. McClure was attending Eastern Washington University and the scholarship, explained Hall, was established to help a student in need attend college.

Mechelle was to graduate today with a 3.0 GPA and intends to become a lawyer.

"What happened to my brothers made me think how our justice system isn't what it's supposed to be. I want to make a difference." Mechelle leaned in closer to her brother and said, "I want to get the criminals and put them in jail where they're supposed to be."

Micheal's scholarship winning essay also chronicled the death of one brother, the paralysis of another and how he dealt with the grief and challenges of his young life. The Horatio Algier Scholarship is awarded to a student who has overcome adversity in his or her life. He was to graduate today with "either a 2.7 or a 2.8" GPA.

Micheal's dream

The strapping 18-year-old intends to pursue a secondary education degree with an emphasis in history. "I like to help people and I like working with young people. I really like history. It's interesting going back into time and looking at the struggle people had back then."

He also has his eyes on an advanced degree in educational administration. "I'd like to try and be a principal or something," he added.

Mechelle is looking forward to going away to college and learning about the history of the struggle of blacks, even though being away from her mother for the first time in her life will be "really hard" -- but she's not too sure how her brother will fare. For that matter, neither is Micheal.

"She's the 'Mom' of this little twinship," Micheal said. "She does everything for me."

"I make sure he has money with him and he has his school things together in the morning," Mechelle chimed in. "I even take care of him when he's sick."

"I don't know what I'm going to do without her," Micheal says. "I guess I'm going to be calling her for something every day."

Chances are, Micheal will get plenty of help with life as a freshman at Fresno State from his best friend. Vernon, a star running back for Cimarron's football team, will be attending Fresno on a football scholarship.

Mother's help

The siblings said they owe much of their success to their mother, Lucille Foster.

The twins' father died when they were just 9 years old, and Lucille Foster raised both sets of twins and another brother, Mark, on her own.

After their father's death, Mechelle said her mother "really pushed us" to do well in school and aspire to college. "My mom is really happy about what we're doing with our lives," she said.

But Lucille Foster gives credit to her children and the community of friends the family has.

"I have been blessed with wonderful children," she said. "I can't remember a time I had a problem with their behavior, they were never sickly, and I never had to make them learn to achieve. I can't remember a time where they didn't like school."

The tragedies the family have faced together have brought them closer, Lucile Foster said, and have added strength and character to her children.

"Any other kids would have taken the circumstances as an excuse not to do good in school and with their lives, but not these kids," she said. "I've had five children and if anyone was going to succeed, I always knew it would be these two."

Others helped

Family friends, such as the Fox family, also contributed to the success of her children, she said.

"Even the friends they have had, they've come from good families and they've been a good influence on my children. All the people we've known have played a role in their lives. Especially Vernon's family, they have played a big role.

"I always say I have raised my kids jointly."

Belief in the success of the Foster siblings isn't limited to a proud mother.

Vernon said he expects great things will come from Mechelle and Micheal and believes the two will achieve whatever goals they set for themselves.

Hall agreed, and gave credit to Lucille Foster.

"The apples don't fall far from the tree," he observed.

Hall has known the Foster family for several years, and said he was proud to know Micheal and Mechelle.

"I've been black all my life, since 1952, and I want these kids to go out and show the world we have a good bunch of kids here in Las Vegas."

Along with the financial security and self-satisfaction that comes along with a college degree, Micheal and Mechelle said there was one thing that was most important to both of them.

"I'm looking for making my mom proud of me," Micheal said.

Added Mechelle: "Making my mom proud, that's what's most important, because I know it's because of her that I'm here."