Events

Charbert Fitz has his eye on Michigan State University. One of his favorite NFL running backs, Le’Veon Bell went to MSU, and Charbert is interested in State’s law enforcement program.

Charbert signed up to be a Challenge Scholar when he was a sixth grader at Westwood Middle School and he is currently a freshman at Union High School. He knows that as long as he stays on track with his grades, attendance and behavior, his dream of being a Spartan can absolutely come true. And that’s exciting for his entire family.

The path to success wasn’t always so clear for Charbert.

Charbert’s father passed away in 2011, leaving Tearra Fitz, Charbert’s mom, to raise he and his siblings on her own. She managed well, but noticed Charbert struggling when he entered middle school. “He had a really rough start to sixth grade. I thought ‘oh no, is this going to be my problem kid?’” Tearra said.

She saw him struggling to maintain Cs and he wasn’t going to school prepared. “I said if you want to play sports, this is what you have to do. My kids are not allowed to play sports unless they have a B or better in every class. I gave him guidelines and set expectations, and he went for it. He buckled down.”

Tearra was happy to learn about the Challenge Scholars program. “The program reinforces what I drive at home with my kids. I expect my kids to get good grades, be in school every day and be prepared. I like that Challenge Scholars sets this expectation for everyone in the program. It helps my son feel less like he’s the only one doing it,” Tearra said.

At the end of last school year, as he was finishing his time at Westwood, Charbert was recognized for his hard work as he was named Student Athlete of the Year. It was a complete surprise to Charbert and his family, and it meant a lot.

“He likes having the bragging rights with his siblings. We have a good healthy competition [for good grades] going on here,” said Tearra. “Charbert also wants to make me and his late father proud,” she added. Great work Charbert—Keep it up at Union High School! #yougotthis #goingplaces