Student Profile – Justin White

Like many boys his age, eighth grader Justin White hopes to grow up to become a professional basketball player. His favorite position is point guard and he dreams of being drafted to run the offense for an NBA team.

Thanks to a grant from The Summa Children’s Foundation and as a member of the Summa 10, Justin participates in the after-school program Team Prime Time (TPT). This program has become a different type of point guard in his life. TPT leverages students’ passion for sports or arts to promote academic achievement. Effectively, TPT passes the ball to these students and sets them up for the perfect shot to find success both on and off the court.

Justin looks forward to his evenings with TPT. As part of the program, Justin must focus on his studies before he can participate in any sports activities. “When I arrive at TPT, I start my homework immediately. We have tutors who can help us with any subject. We must complete all homework before we can play sports. But when the homework is done, I can hit the court and play basketball, football or whatever I want to do until it is time to go home,” said Justin.

A good point guard works to distribute the ball and make the other players more effective. This is the effect that TPT has made in Justin’s life. By giving Justin a sense of accomplishment and enhancing his self-esteem, they have helped him achieve success in both academics and athletics.

As a result, many good things have happened to Justin since he became a member of the Summa 10 at TPT. His grades have improved, he was accepted into the ESA Sports Academy and he has made new friends. “Without TPT, I wouldn’t be doing as well in school and I wouldn’t be able to participate in basketball or football,” said Justin.  “At the same time, I’ve made friends that I wouldn’t have met in any other way.”

While dreaming of the NBA, Justin is preparing for success in the near future. He plans to continue to work hard in school. Looking a year ahead toward high school, he is already planning to try out for the school’s basketball team. And with TPT as his point guard, he stands a very good chance of achieving his goals while working toward his dreams.