(WSVN) - A Miami law firm is teaming up with a middle school in the heart of Liberty City. The attorneys want to give students the extra push they need to help them succeed in life. 7’s Katrina Bush has tonight’s edition of Hope and Healing.
It may look like your average classroom, and sound like your average classroom, but there is something special going on here.
That’s because when attorney Marlon Hill walks out of a courtroom and into this seventh and eighth grade civics class, the students become his priority.
Marlon and his law firm teamed up with Brownsville Middle School, but Marlon wanted to do more than just write a check. He wanted to show these inner city kids that they can be successful and do anything with their lives.
Marlon A. Hill, partner at Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel: “It’s very important for us, as a community, that we have to play a role in giving every child a chance and help them to achieve their best potential.”
Marlon admits the odds are against many of these kids, but he believes, if you mentor them and give them hope, they will overcome their difficulties and succeed.
Marlon A. Hill: “You have to make the time and dedicate resources to make this happen. It’s a conscious choice for the community to be better.”
Students Brandon Cassamajor and Amber Paige have big dreams.
Brandon Cassamajor, Brownsville student: “I wanna go to med school, become a doctor because of my godmother. She has cancer and she’s still a nurse.”
Amber Paige, Brownsville student: “I want to be the president of the United States. I plan on first passing middle school and going to college on scholarship. I would like to either go to Stanford, Harvard or Yale.”
And that’s exactly what Marlon wants to hear from these students.
Marlon A. Hill: “There’s no coincidence that this happens where we have an Amber who declares to you with such clarity, that when she grows up she wants to be the president of the United States, and she explains exactly how she’s going to get there.”
In the midst of all the hard work, there is some fun ahead. Marlon is working with the school district to create a full-fledged “Legal Studies Law Academy.”
Marlon A. Hill: “Our vision is to build out two classrooms here, to build out a mock, 21st century courtroom. We’ll have a judge, we’ll have witnesses, we’ll have a jury, a bailiff, a clerk.”
He is hoping to raise the money and have the courtroom up and running by next year. In the meantime, Marlon will continue to take pride in his shining stars.
Marlon A. Hill: “Everyone wants hope. No one wants to be broken. Everyone wants to be healed.”
If you would like to find out how to donate money toward building the courtroom at Brownsville Middle School, go to http://give.miamifoundation.org/hmbc .
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