I-LEAP Poem
Jazmine McKinney is an I-LEAP scholar in Community Health. Jazmine plans to pursue physical
therapy upon graduation. Jazmine wrote a poem for the 2009 Success
in Academic Achievement Banquet entitled "I-LEAP." "I-LEAP" is Jazmine's personal reflection
about the support of the I-LEAP Program written to encourage her peers in areas of motivation,
perseverance, and obtaining academic success within college. Jazmine has earned high academic
marks in coursework and is very involved on campus and in the local community.
I-LEAP
I-LEAP into academics
Plunge head first into school
And though it might not sound cool
When we're here
Its number one priority
Not afraid to be wrong
Or ask a question with authority
We might not always ace
Or sometimes even pass
But in the end we emerge
More educated than the last
Look past the last minute papers
And late night study sessions
Lon-capa due in twenty minutes
And take these all as lessons
Because eventually we can attribute these academics
To our successes
Through the TA's and office hours
18 hour course loads
Exhausting yourself...then doing it again the next day
When 8 a.m. seems insanely early
And a C+ almost feels like an A
Where education meets prestige
All the while knowing that when you do leave
We can call ourselves educated
I-LEAP into the complicated
Into the complex experiences that enrich
Our lives
Blessings in disguise
Community service at various places
Turning strangers into familiar faces
Taking a simple task and making it matter
Making each experience count more than the latter
Volunteering and working with others
Mentors, Habitat
Big sisters and brothers
Not concerning ourselves with what looks impressive on paper
And just doing things for someone
Who needs a favor
A helping hand and loving heart
Putting our all into everything we can
And finishing what we start
Living life to the fullest and helping others do the same
Leaving every situation more fulfilled than when we came
Living it up, laughing it off, and learning through it all
Sitting straight and walking tall
Leaving a piece of ourselves in every experience
Because we know that's where it fits
Knowing that when we do leave
We can call ourselves enriched
I-LEAP into the stitched
The threads that hold the big picture together
Club leaders and student teachers
Tutors and captains
Exec boards and athletes
Juniors and seniors that all serve as leaders
But then there are those who take initiative without being asked
Have never missed one single class
Arrive early and then stay late
Never missed an important date
Those who are organized and arrive on time
Take the lead in class projects
In groups with people we've never met
Getting ready...set...to go go go
It just goes to show that
Leaders are not always obvious or distinct
Not being afraid to think
or question
Through being wrong and guessing
They deserve the acknowledgement
Leaders are those selfless individuals that help us
and themselves
But the majority of the time
You can find their wants on the shelves
Helping others to victory because with them
It'll be much more sweeter
Knowing that when we do leave
We can call ourselves a leader
I-LEAP into a meter
And move to the rhythm of achievement
Because it is not just credentials or connections
Until we look at the things with different perceptions
Strive to disprove the misconceptions
And preconceived notions
That students lack discipline, passion, and devotion
Until we look good on paper
And better in person
Work in situations adverse and diverse and
Until we work well with others
And productively alone
And make everywhere we set foot
Feel just like home
Until we take life's obstacles and help make them smaller
It is only then that you are an I-LEAP scholar
© Jazmine McKinney, College of Applied Health Sciences
April 18, 2009