Note from Pamela Jones

Ashley T. White, an exceptional young woman, surmounted the challenges of poverty and teen pregnancy and now is on the verge of completing her college education and embarking on a career.  But Ashley is now facing a critical decision on whether she can continue her college courses as a full-time student.  A group of her friends are helping her with that decision.  My story, below, will help you understand why.

“Want to see a movie about a spelling bee?”  My girlfriend asked.  My husband yawned, gave me a peculiar look, and said “It really sounds exciting, but I think I’ll pass.”  And that’s why, one Saturday afternoon in 2003 –hanging out with a girlfriend- I first saw Ashley T. White - one of the 8 National Spelling Bee contestants - in the documentary movie “Spellbound.”

Ashley stood out in the movie as a bright, self-assured African American eighth grader, the exceptionally gifted daughter of a single mom scratching out a livelihood for two daughters and herself in one of the District’s tough neighborhoods. 

The movie left me curious about Ashley’s life in the 4 years since the documentary was made.  I called the film maker who put me in touch with Ashley and we arranged to meet at a café in my neighborhood near a Metro subway stop.  From where I sat in the café, I recognized Ashley coming up the Metro escalator, but without the self-assured attitude and the engaging smile I remembered from the movie.  As she got to the top of the escalator, though, the smile returned as Ashley looked down at her three-month old daughter Dashayla, and shielded her from the bright sunlight.

As we talked, I soon learned that the eighth-grade Spelling Bee star with aspirations for college and a career was now a teen mom struggling to support herself and her beloved Dashayla.  I mentioned how well she had articulated her life goals when she was interviewed in the documentary.  “Pam,” she said, “I can’t remember - I don’t even know who that girl was anymore.”

But, Ashley T. White is not the kind of woman to give up.  Let me “fast-forward” to Ashley’s life today, and how she got there.  She is an outstanding student with a 3.8 Grade Point Average at Howard University, one of the nations’ most preeminent Historically Black Universities, who will graduate with a degree in Communications in May 2008 if she continues her studies as a full-time student. Her daughter Dashayla spends her day well cared for at a quality child care center run by Mazique Parent Child Center.  Mother and daughter - who once lived in a homeless shelter - now live in a one bedroom subsidized apartment.  Ashley works part-time at the non-profit corporation where I am Executive Director -- Crittenton Services of Greater Washington, an organization with a legacy of over 120 years of supporting girls and young women to pursue their life goals.
Did Ashley get where she is today on her own?  For the most part, yes, it is her tenacity and hard work on a daily basis that keeps her moving toward her goals; but she could not have made it this far without some critical assistance from friends and benefactors.

Washington Post reporter, Jacqueline Salmon, profiled Ashley in a 2004 article and mentioned my connection with Ashley.  As soon as the article appeared, I heard from people from all over the country who wanted to provide financial assistance.  With their help, Ashley has been able to put food on the table, pay for rent and transportation, meet the needs of an active toddler, now 4 year-old daughter and, with careful budgeting - afford her tuition (with Pell Grants, partial scholarships and student loans) and college textbooks.  Some of that financial support continues, but it has dwindled with time and now, Ashley’s ability to complete her degree and realize her career goals is seriously jeopardized.

I wish I had the writing skill to capture Ashley’s character and achievements in this letter – but, then again, I don’t think that’s even possible on the printed page.  So, “pictures being worth a thousand words” and all of that, I’m asking you to take a look at this Web site which introduces you to Ashley’s day-to-day life as she balances the efforts of full-time student, full-time mother, and part-time employee. 

The web site originated with a group of us who simply identify ourselves as “Ashley’s friends.”  If people want to contribute towards Ashley’s success, we guarantee that the contributions will be protected and used wisely.  However, our tiny volunteer group is not an organized charity or foundation, or anything formal like that.  So, all contributions we receive are paid to the Edward C. Mazique Parent Child Center, a well respected non-profit that has been a part of Ashley’s life since 2003.  They manage the funds and give Ashley financial guidance as part of their mission and do not charge an administration fee. Our group of “Ashley’s friends” tracks the funds and assists with such things as sending contributors the forms necessary to establish charitable deductions for tax purposes.   We do not share the names of the contributors and there are no outside “fund raising mail lists,” etc.

One of the reasons I know that supporting Ashley is so worthwhile is that she and I share the experience of being teen moms.  When my daughter was born forty years ago, I don’t think there were any statistics kept about the difficulties teen moms face in obtaining a college education and becoming productive members of our society.  We have those statistics now, though, and I think you will find one of them compelling:  fewer than two-percent of teen mothers ever achieve a college degree.  That’s why Ashley’s friends think it’s so important to make Ashley an exception to that alarming statistic.  I hope you will think so, too.