When freshman Ryan Moment-Stromon won the 2017 Black Student Achievement Program’s essay contest, he was shocked.

“It was just amazing, most of the other participants were 11th or 12th graders and I didn’t think that I stood a chance, I was surprised, cheerful, and glad,” he said. “In the beginning I didn’t know if I had enough confidence to participate, but I ended up seeing and realizing how I can do better in life and now I have more confidence to show my talents in the future.”

The purpose of the contest was to both familiarize students with political leader and activist Marcus Garvey and to reflect on the importance of confidence in life. The contest was a success, and many students from all backgrounds and ethnicities participated.

As Garvey once said, “If you haven’t confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.”

According to the Howard County Public School System, “The ultimate goal of the BSAP is to help black students excel as leaders, conquer challenges of the 21st century, and become college and career ready upon high school graduation.”

Wilde Lake welcomed Marcus Nicks as the new BSAP liaison in 2017. “I enjoy knowing when I get up in the morning that I will be able to impact the lives of African American students in a positive way. It’s more than a paycheck and a job, you can’t put a price on a mission like that,” he said.

Mr. Nicks plans to focus on parent outreach and making a positive change in the lives of his new students while getting to know the Wilde Lake community this year. “Whether it is helping a student apply for college, encouraging them to take part in an upper level course, helping them set goals, or just helping them get into the building on time… Whatever I can do, it is so liberating and it is so uplifting for me to serve these students,” he said.

Sophomore Khiera Tuck has already benefited from the empowerment and feeling of community that the Black Student Achievement Program has provided for her. “BSAP has given me an outlet that makes me feel like I can make a change in the world,” she said. “It has given me people I can connect with and relate to. It’s a great way to bring together a group of people.”

The BSAP is hosting an event on December 20. BSAP Night will showcase the students at Wilde Lake and give Mr. Nicks and opportunity to introduce himself to the community and interact with students and parents.