Kids These Days…are Ready for the Next Step: Amanda Lee Helps Canton Students Transition into their Future

Canton City Schools Parent Mentor Amanda Lee is putting her passion, enthusiasm, and deep knowledge of student desires to work, helping high schoolers navigate an important transition in their lives, moving from high school into the adult world. Her commitment to talking with students, understanding what they would like to see in their future, and removing barriers is making a difference across the district.

Amanda recently supported a student who had been experiencing homelessness and had not attended school for two years due to a variety of circumstances. When she met with him, she simply asked for a chance, for him to allow Canton City Schools to support him. From there, Amanda worked with him step-by-step, gathering critical documents like a birth certificate and a Social Security card to ensure he had what he needed to become eligible for employment.

Thanks to her guidance, never-ending enthusiasm, and persistence, this young man is now proudly employed at Giant Eagle and excited to contribute to his community.

“I am so happy to work with so many high school students who genuinely want to be productive members of society,” Amanda shared. “There are so many barriers, including things so many of us never have to worry about, like a roof over our head, how to begin tracking down legal paperwork, or how to get food or transportation to school and work.”

In Ohio, even the weather can pose a barrier when students lack warm footwear or outerwear to get from point A to point B safely.

Talking with Amanda for just a few minutes and hearing this story, it highlights why every young person deserves the chance to transition into the next phase of life with encouragement, guidance, and caring adults by their side.

When she’s not helping high school students build their futures, Amanda is supporting families who are navigating the complexities of special education or enjoying a fresh Bulldog Brew from the in-school coffee shop where her son, Julian, who is a student in the district, works.

Being served a drink from Bulldog Brews is so much more than a caffeine pick-me-up. Bulldog Brew is a hands-on learning experience where students with disabilities help run a coffee shop operation. Students build life and work skills while interacting with staff throughout the school. From managing money to applying math while interacting with customers, Bulldog Brew is helping students communicate, work as a team, and gain confidence.

Thank you to Canton City Schools and Ohio’s Parent Mentor Program for giving parents like Amanda the chance to foster opportunities, remove barriers, and help open doors to different types of possibilities.