A Story of Paths, and Chasms, Crossed

By Jeff Hawkes

Cold shoulder Friend’s intervention

Parts of Mike Waltman’s story need not be told.

Let’s just say there was unruly behavior and brushes with the law. But Waltman, 21, is no longer the troublemaker. He’s not the kid who got into fights and, at 17, dropped out of school.

His focus is the future. He’s on track to graduate in June from Lancaster County Academy, the alternative school tucked into a corner of Park City Center.

Waltman will earn a high school diploma – not an equivalency degree, but the real thing. And not by squeaking by; he’s making A’s for the first time in his life. Waltman never saw himself as an A” student. His siblings were the smart ones. Now he’s finding out he has academic potential, and that realization is empowering. For the first time in his life, Waltman is finding excitement in learning.

Why did it take so long? That’s a good question for Waltman and young people like him.

In Waltman’s case, impulsiveness and inattentiveness led to problems at school. Teachers expected him to sit and listen as they droned on and on. Sorry, that’s not his learning style.

It’s as if Waltman was set up for failure. And the thing is, he had a knack for meeting most people’s low expectations. Funny how that works.

Waltman worked for Weis Markets and UPS and had other jobs after leaving school. Two times he enrolled at Lancaster County Academy, but for one reason or another he got off track.

There’s a turning point in this story, but first you’ve got to know about Joel Marcarelli, Waltman’s friend.

Marcarelli, 28, also didn’t finish high school. His challenge was a learning disability in reading comprehension. He began to feel he didn’t fit in at school and gravitated toward a crowd that stayed up late and cut classes to go to a video arcade.

Marcarelli had the drive to complete the requirements for Eagle Scout, the crowning achievement in Boy Scouts. Show him how to do something with his hands, and he comes alive.

But there was too little hands-on learning in high school. And Marcarelli didn’t feel teachers cared about him. When he discovered he could make what seemed like good money as a laborer in the construction field, he dropped out.

There are parts of Marcarelli’s story that need not be told. The important thing is that after an initial setback as a student at Lancaster County Academy he returned to the classroom a few years later. That’s where Marcarelli and Waltman met.

While Waltman floundered at Academy and left for the second time in 2005, Marcarelli, in his second time back, applied himself and in June 2005 graduated. He took home the school’s “Perseverance Award” and went to work in the heating and ventilation trade.

He and Waltman kept in touch. Waltman gave Marcarelli rides. Marcarelli helped Waltman get an apartment. A bond developed. When Waltman moved back in with his parents, Marcarelli was a frequent- enough visitor that he called Waltman’s folks “Mom” and “Dad.”

Marcarelli from time to time got on Waltman’s case, challenging him to think about his future and return to school.

Then, a couple months ago, Marcarelli took direct action. He went to Academy director Diane Tyson and asked her to give Waltman one more chance. She agreed to talk to him.

Marcarelli drove directly to Waltman’s house and told him, “Let’s go. You’re going back to school.”

Waltman agreed. And that was the turning point.

Marcarelli, recently laid off from work, plans to enroll in a trade school, perhaps out of the area, and earn at least an associate degree. Waltman is considering college and becoming a physical-education teacher.

Their paths are diverging these days, but Waltman and Marcarelli know they’ve helped each other set a course for success.

E-mail Jeff at jhawkes@lnpnews.com.

(c) 2007 Intelligencer Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.