By: Layla Westbrook, EAST Student Contributor

Student growth is one of the fundamental goals of EAST. This growth, both personal and academic, is often most evident to parents. Amber Long Martin is a licensed professional counselor and the director of Wilson Counseling Center at Arkansas State University. Her daughter, Addy Beth Martin, has been involved in EAST since fourth grade and plans to continue to be involved until she graduates. 

Addy Beth introduced Ms. Martin to EAST, and Ms. Martin has been in full support of her efforts since the beginning. 

“I got the impression that it was an opportunity for her to think outside the box, to be able to think hands-on, and to be able to give back to her community, her school, whatever she was assigned to work on,” Ms. Martin said. “I saw it as an opportunity for her to thrive in these areas that I knew she was looking to thrive in.”

Ms. Martin has seen major developments in Addy Beth’s social skills in EAST and believes EAST is greatly helping prepare her for college.

“We are finding our students are not prepared in those soft skills; one of the things that I have noticed with EAST is, Addy Beth initiates conversations with adults, she initiates conversations with peers, and colleagues, with people she’s met before and with people she’s never met,” Ms. Martin said. “EAST has really helped Addy Beth with those life skills that she is going to take with her forever.”

Ms. Martin has also seen growth in her confidence and creativity.

“Another thing I’ve seen her really flourish in is problem solving skills and thinking outside the box. School gets really into this cookie-cutter formula, and what I love about EAST is it allows you to stray outside of the formula,” Ms. Martin said “I’ve seen her really grow in her confidence and her ability to stand in front of [others], whether it’s one person or a thousand, she thrives on that.. ”

EAST’s impact reaches beyond the EAST classroom; Addy Beth has become more engaged at school because of it, and the class has allowed her to pursue new interests and explore options for her future.  

“Once she started the EAST program, I never once heard her say, ‘I don’t want to go to school’, I never once heard her say ‘I’m bored’, she always looked forward to EAST. Her current EAST facilitator is Lorenzo Balderas. He’s phenomenal and is someone that she’s already really connected with. I don’t really know where she’s going to go, but what I do know is we have seen her just grow as a speaker, we’ve seen her grow in her social skills, in her writing skills, in her problem-solving, and I attest all of that to EAST.” 

Ms. Martin has watched Addy Beth grow in her awareness of the world around her. 

“One of the things that I’ve seen her really evolve in is recognizing that she’s not the only one in this world,” Ms. Martin said. “EAST has helped her be able to see outside of just herself, and to feel invested, not only in her school, but also in her community, seeing the benefits and importance of thinking outside of yourself.”

Ms. Martin views Addy Beth’s experience in EAST as a key factor in her development, and she looks forward to seeing where she goes. 

“It is something that is so empowering for a student, She feels very valued and I think that goes a long way in growing as not only students but as individuals too,” Ms. Martin said. “I have loved watching her grow in EAST. She plans on staying in it till she graduates!”