Local nonprofit helps Towers High grad make it to Nashville

Angels come in all forms. For Dahjia Turner, a graduate of DeKalb County’s Towers High School, a nonprofit called Communities in Schools of Atlanta (CIS) was the godsend she needed to start her freshman year in college a few days ago.

Turner had her bags packed and everything she needed for her dorm and new life at Tennessee State University in Nashville. But she didn’t have a way to get there because her family does not own a car.

CIS Atlanta stepped in to help. In addition to driving Turner to the campus in Tennessee and helping her with dorm supplies, the campus the nonprofit made sure Turner connected with campus ambassadors, and introduced her to community stakeholders and potential mentors to assist with her transition into higher education.

CIS Atlanta is a drop-out prevention organization founded in Atlanta in 1971. Turner started ninth grade at Clarkston High School, where she was introduced to the CIS program. She continued with the program through her graduation this year at Towers.

“We are all in for our students and their families even after they graduate from high school and go to college,” said Frank Brown, Esq., CEO of Communities in Schools of Atlanta. “We surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.”

For more information on CIS Atlanta, visit www.cisatlanta.org.