..."Coaches" Kids!
Professor Houck finds underprivileged youth a deserving investment
It’s not a direct means to increase literacy among kids, but one of FSU’s Department of Communication professors finds his work at the Miccosukee Boys & Girls Club just as rewarding.
So rewarding, he has pledged his money as well as his time.
Dr. Davis Houck has been a “faithful” volunteer at Miccosukee since 2003. That’s when he found out about the club from a speaker whom Houck thought was going to be talking about literacy programs.
Instead the speaker told of the club’s activities and needs. Houck was hooked. He’s been tutoring and playing sports with the kids since.
Then in August, Houck decided to take his dedication to a new level. He pledged $50,000 for scholarships and will donate it in $10,000 units over the next five years.
Boys and Girls Club officials were “blown over” with the gift. They praised the professional educator for his volunteer work. They cited his abilities at making “a lasting impact” on the lives of Miccosukee youth.
The scholarship by Houck will allow him to invest in the development of the club members youthful lives as they mature while remaining personally involved.
When he is not teaching the kids of Miccosukee, Houck teaches the “kids” of FSU. On campus, he’s just as popular and dedicated to his older students.
While the youth at Miccosukee receive Houck’s guidance and inspiration toward a better quality of life, the professor’s college students learn Rhetoric and Persuasion.
In explaining his gift, Houck quickly got to the point of his generosity.
“I love the kids (at the club),” says Houck, “Many of them have abuse concerns, absent parents and not enough food to eat. When I go home, I worry about them.”
He’s also concerned about his college students, but in a different way. He wants them to benefit from their collegiate experiences in his classroom.
His classroom contributions are aided by his education and his research in disability studies, New Deal presidential initiatives and sport, with an emphasis in race, gender, class and sexuality.