Tori Taylor doesn’t live in a castle. She wasn’t saved by a prince. You won't find a shiny crown atop her head. Nevertheless, some might say she’s a modern day Cinderella. Because, when Tori needed help, an unexpected fairy godmother arrived with a life-changing plan.

Tori’s Story

Unlike many of her peers, Tori didn’t grow up in a loving home. She lacked clean clothes, proper hygiene, and access to nutritious food. “I was sent to school in dirty, poorly-fitting clothing and a packed lunch often containing nothing more than crackers and cheese,” she explained.

To top it off, she was denied opportunities to finish her homework, pursue extra-curricular activities or learn to drive. “My dad and stepmom told me they would kick me out of the house when I turned 18,” she said. “I felt so afraid and alone.”

However, Tori wasn’t alone. Someone was watching.

An Unconventional Fairy Godmother

Michelle Walther, is a site coordinator for Communities In Schools. The national, nonprofit organization gives at risk students the support needed to achieve - both in and out of the classroom.

As a site coordinator at Centerville High School, Michelle noticed something wasn’t right with Tori. One day, she invited her into her office and asked:

“How are you doing?”

A single question led to a series of answers. Michelle learned Tori’s basic needs were not being met. She took immediate action. This included giving Tori clean clothes, opportunities to shower at school, healthy meals, and supplies like notebooks and highlighters to stay organized in class.

“Tori was like many of the kids we work with – so burdened from shortcomings that they can’t concentrate on being a good student,” Michelle explained. “Giving a child someone they can count on to provide for their needs changes their world.”

Tori says the extra help was surprising. “I had never received attention like this!” By the time senior year began, Tori’s life had greatly improved. However, she still had a big concern. “I feared turning 18 because I would be kicked out of my house,” she explained.

Once again, Communities In Schools stepped in to help.

A New Chapter

Michelle connected Tori with Melissa Vance. She warmly took her in. “No child should be forced to the streets just because they reach a certain age,” said Melissa. “Our family was happy to open our home and welcome Tori to be part of it.”

“I had never felt as loved and cared for, as I did then,” said Tori. “I grew up being treated as a burden…never feeling loved and wanted. Becoming part of this family helped me feel like I fit in and was just a normal teenager with a great family.”

Preparing for the Ball (a.k.a. – Prom)

Spring arrived - and with it came the big dance. One day after school, Michelle took Tori shopping for a dress and shoes. The day of prom, she had her hair professionally done.

“In less than a year, I had had gone from dirty, hungry and scared – to happy, loved and on my way to senior prom,” Tori shares.

A Happy Ending

Today, Tori is in her junior year of college, and works in the finance industry. Reflecting on her experience with Communities In Schools, she says she’s overwhelmed with gratitude.

“I don’t know where I would be today without the help of this wonderful organization,” Tori says. “I do know I would not be a part of a loving family, be on my way to a college degree, and have a full-time position in the finance industry. My life now is something I could only have dreamed about before Communities In Schools reached out to help me realize my worth and become the person that I am today.”

With support from State Farm, Communities In Schools is working to build stronger communities and change children’s lives. Tori’s Triumph is just one example of the many children it helps each year.

That was just the walk to class. Once the door closed and Delilah was face-to-face with her peers, the up-close-and-personal bullying began. People made fun of the way Delilah dressed, talked and wore her hair. They punched, name-called and quickly contributed to her crumbling self-esteem.

On the days she could stand to stay in class, she was too distracted to focus. When the day seemed too much to face, Delilah pretended to be sick, missing days of school.

Soon, her grades tumbled, and she was failing her classes. Bullying was stealing more than Delilah’s confidence — it was stealing her education and her childhood.

Turning things around

At this point, Delilah needed a really good reason to keep going to school. She didn’t know it yet, but she needed to meet Ms. Edith Penny, a program coordinator with Communities In Schools of the Rocky Mount Region.

“That time was a really tough time for me…it was to a point where I didn’t want to come to school at all,” Delilah said. “I don’t know how I passed the sixth grade. I thank CIS for getting me past that.”

Identifying and removing barriers for students is part of the job for CIS. Students receive an individualized student support plan to target academic and non-academic barriers that are impacting attendance, behavior and coursework.

For Delilah, CIS stepped in to help with attendance and coursework. Ms. Penny helped Delilah in the classes she was failing, and got her removed from the bullying environment. Attendance was improving, and so were Delilah’s grades.

“The following year, everything was different. I was around a different group of students,” said Delilah Jones. “I was part of CIS.”

A new year, a brighter future

With her new support system, Delilah began to see a bright future she could call her own. CIS helped her explore different career opportunities and showed her college was a real option.

Today, she is a graduate of East Carolina University and walks down a different hallway as a confident young woman shaping the lives of today’s youth. Since February 2016, Delilah is a teacher’s assistant at Tar River Academy.

She works with students who have fallen behind in their coursework and are overcoming behavioral issues. Delilah knows they can reach their full potential — because she did.

“I have relationships with the students to the point they come to me when they have a problem or are having a bad day and just need someone to talk to,” she said.

As the middle school memories begin to fade, Delilah wants to be present in her students’ lives and help them get through the tough times. “I just remember Ms. Penny always being there.”

Delilah empathizes with today’s students who deal with cyberbullying. She has words of encouragement, “Know you’re not alone and you have a support system.”

“Across our state, you will find gaps where students lack access to the help they need to achieve their full potential,” said State Farm Sales Leader and Communities in Schools NC Board Member, Andy Shoffner. “State Farm is committed to closing this gap and has joined forces with CIS to expand to more low-performing schools. It is a wise investment.”