Full circle: a former student joins CSC’s staff

Welcome back, Ben Lealofi!  As CSC's new Tukwila Transition Coordinator, Ben is the first former CSC student to return as a fulltime staff member.

"I came back to a community that gave so much to me."

When Ben Lealofi entered Foster High School in 2002, CSC had served students and families in the Tukwila School District for one year. Ben embraced the opportunities offered by CSC, particularly academic support. “It was a great way to outreach to students who need additional help,” he says.

CSC’s after-school environment gave Ben and several friends a platform to develop the Multicultural Action Committee (MAC). “Foster is the most diverse high school in the U.S.,” Ben notes. “So MAC gave us a chance to form an alliance, learn about each other’s cultures and enrich each other.” CSC students are involved in MAC to this day.

"CSC helped me see the options I had."

CSC staff also helped Ben explore college and financial aid options.  He became part of the first class of Gates Millennium Scholars upon the recommendation of a Foster High teacher.  He used this and other scholarships to attend the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in anthropology with a minor in diversity.

At UW, Ben held many leadership roles, building on the foundation he’d received with CSC. He was a member of the Polynesian Student Alliance. He went on to serve as director of diversity efforts for the student body. He was actively involved in the University’s Dream Project, which helps low-income and first generation high school students prepare for college. Throughout his UW years, Ben mentored college, high school and middle school students.

"Education is the key. If kids grasp it, the world is their own."

Ben is excited to serve as Tukwila’s first Transition Coordinator. CSC’s Transition program, begun in Highline two years ago, helps middle school students prepare for success in the upper grades. “I want to help students mature and realize their potential,” says Ben. “Education is the key. It’s a way of life. If kids grasp it, the world is their own.”