The Black Child and Family Institute (BCFI) Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School - a Lansing-based community center designed to address social, educational and health related issues among children and families in the community celebrated the end of its six-week summer enrichment program last Thursday. Two of our interns, Nailah Ali and Jared Kissane, were on hand to join students, parents, teachers, partners, sponsors, board members and more for the celebration.

"I am a striver," says Monique Longmire.

Striving is how this Detroit working mom, 28, got to Oakland University, where she earned a human resources degree. It's how she kept going, after the best job she could find upon graduating was an entry-level position as a bank teller.