U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas offered firsthand advice in a private meeting with Diana Worsley, 11. She well remembers Thomas’s words. “He said, ‘Follow your heart, pray, and don’t forget to read the Bible and go to church,’ and I do all that stuff,” she said.
Diana is tutored through Kids Hope USA by Marty Campbell, a member of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Access to the judge came through Campbell’s daughter, a clerk in the Supreme Court building. “[Justice Thomas] doesn’t often do that,” Campbell said. “He’s an incredibly busy man.”
The interdenominational Kids Hope program pairs elementary school students with adults for individual learning. Campbell is one of 60 mentors from LaGrave Avenue CRC paired with children in a downtown Grand Rapids school.
Diana likes several aspects of Kids Hope. “You learn things, you have fun, and Miss Marty helped me with all my work,” she said.
Campbell said seeing Diana blossom in two years of tutoring rewards her. “This was one of the most meaningful things I have done,” she said. “It really makes you feel good to see the potential of a child come out.”
Although the program ends after sixth grade and Diana just started junior high, Campbell continues out-of-school activities with Diana.
For more information, please see www.kidshopeusa.org.
