Nicole Murphy Tutoring and Scholarship Program
Nicole's Story
Nicole was a very bright, hardworking, motivated and extremely independent individual who suffered from Sickle Cell Disease. She was very determined to live her life to the fullest and to make the most of the hand that was dealt to her.
Her junior and senior years in high school proved to be her most challenging years. She would spend months at a time in the hospital or at home unable to attend class due to her illness. Many predicted that she would not graduate. Some even suggested that she drop out and get her GED, But no, not Nicole. She showed them all. With the help of family and close friends, Nicole graduate from Southwest DeKalb's class of 2003. Many tried to discourage Nicole from going to college, but she wanted to further her education. She viewed her education as one way she would be able to help others who also suffer with Sickle Cell Disease. She attended FAMU, studying to be a Pharmacist Assistant. She also viewed her education as a way for her to stand up on her own two feet. It was a means to exert her to live her life on her own terms. She was determined not to let her illness defeat her. She wanted to get her degree so that she could try to take care of herself and her greatest champion, her mother, Regina Murphy.
Nicole never got the chance to graduate from college; she passed away on May 8th due to complication of Sickle Cell Disease.
With the Nicole Murphy Tutoring Program and Scholarship fund, Nicole's dream will live on in other children with Sickle Cell Disease, whose dream is to pursue higher education, in order to make a change.
The FACE Foundation's Nicole Murphy Tutoring Program will ensure that all children suffering from Sickle Cell Disease receive a quality education by offering instructional support to bridge the gaps caused by unpredictable absences from school; and will also actively pursue a genuine relationship between various metro Atlanta School Districts, CHOA, and the Sickle Cell Community.
The FACE Foundation will enroll and offer tutoring services for children ages 5-19 years old suffering from Sickle Cell Disease who are falling behind in their academic studies. We intend to bridge the gaps in a child's education that are a direct result from numerous absences from school due to frequent hospitalizations, clinic visits, at home recovery periods, or other events caused by Sickle Cell Disease and its complications. The tutoring program will be designed to provide services in the child's home, or in coalition with local libraries, community centers, or churches.
Volunteer tutor recruitment campaigns will be targeted to those high school and college students as well as community organizations, which exhibit the desire, willingness and the educational fortitude to support our tutoring program.
The student participants in the Nicole Murphy Tutoring Program will be candidates for the Nicole Murphy $5,000 College Scholarship.
The FACE Foundation will develop tools to help parents and local PTAs implement Sickle Cell Disease education initiatives in their schools and communities. Materials include a PTA resource kit containing a series of template documents for PTAs to tailor and use to generate awareness within their community including students, parents, school officials and local media.
Teachers, college students, and those with the heart for mentoring children, are welcome to volunteer their time and talents to assist students who are falling behind academically, because of this illness.
Inpatients Support Services || Nicole Murphy Tutoring and Scholarship Program || FACE Foundation Volunteer Ambassadors Program
