Building Bridges for Excellence Opens Communication

When Louise Walker was told she did not have a place in higher education or a professional life, she made the decision to prove her guidance counselor wrong.

As a young student at a struggling school in Clairton, Walker faced challenges of motivation and a lack of leadership.

Instead of becoming a statistic, she joined the U.S. Navy and pursued an education that now includes two associates’ degrees, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Point Park University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

“I was robbed out of an education,” Walker said.  “I was in the service for 10 years, took courses and when I got out I said, ‘Nothing is going to stop me and I am going to get my master’s.”

Walker of Swissvale is now working to prevent dropout rates from climbing and trying to inspire parents, teachers and administrators to communicate through a group she founded two years ago – Building Bridges for Excellence.

A single mother with two children in high school, Walker is determined to give them the education and support she never received as a child.

“My goal is to establish communication between the administration, the school, teachers and parents,” Walker said. “I am trying to build that bridge of communication. If there is a concern, we need to be able to talk about it and resolve the issue.”

Walker said after her son, Ja’Nar, went to Woodland Hills High School and experienced trouble with his grades, she decided to take an active role in improving the experience for children by establishing monthly discussions between parents and administrators at Union Baptist Church in Swissvale.

She also has a daughter, Jon’e Walker-Overton, who is now a sophomore at Oakland Catholic School because of problems with fights at Woodland Hills High School.

Walker said while she “worships the ground some teachers walk on,” others do not encourage the students enough. In addition, she also feels there is a “parent problem” holding some students back.

“If there is a football game, you fill the stadium full of parents, but if there is a parent conference or an open house, it’s horrible,” Walker said.

Woodland Hills Superintendent Walter Calinger said Walker is a dynamic force helping the district to improve.

“It’s been extremely helpful,” Calinger said. “I require one administrator from every building to be at that meeting. They’ll learn what we are doing right and what we can improve on.”

Calinger said he wished more parents would take Walker’s lead and hold similar meetings throughout the school district, or attend the one she facilitates at Union Baptist.

“It’s always done in a helpful manner,” he said. “It’s not degrading – it’s saying, ‘Hey, we are in this together and how can we do this together?’ That’s the approach we need.”

The Rev. Robert Tedder of Union Baptist Church said Walker’s mission is in line with the work he strives to complete on a daily basis.

“Part of that is to be a social justice vehicle to improve the quality of life for people in our community, particularly our youth,” Tedder said. “We have always had a hand in trying to be instrumental in changing lives of young people and we see what she does as an extension of our mission. It’s a perfect marriage there.”

Walker said as an African-American woman and single parent, it is important for her to help save a generation that seems to be slipping through the cracks.

“I sacrificed,” she said. “I have to lead by example and I live my life like that. Anytime somebody tells me I can’t – I do. See me in a year or two. Anyone who knows me knows I push forward and keep pushing.”

On Feb. 17, Walker is hosting a Black History Month event at 6:30 p.m. where she will give a speech on education along with a presentation of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. Beginning in March, the group will meet at 6 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month at Union Baptist Church.

For more information and to get involved with Building Bridges for Excellence, call Walker at 412-894-6435 or e-mail her at bbfexcellence@yahoo.com.