Candice Fondren is a Student Support Specialist (S3) at Communities In Schools of Memphis (CISM), an affiliate of the national CIS network, which has proven to be one of the most effective drop-out prevention organizations for over 40 years. As an S3 for the last 5 years, Ms. Fondren has had the pleasure of serving underprivileged children and their families by providing daily school-based interventions to students that address chronic absenteeism, academic failure, behavioral issues, social service needs, and more. During her time with CISM, she has received several awards such as the “Attendance Works” Award, the “Ripple Effect” Award, “All in for Kids” Award, and most recently, the “Veteran of the Year” Award.  She has won all of these accolades due to her dedication to achieving CIS’s mission “to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.” In addition to all of these awards, Ms. Fondren has also received the “Staff of the Month” Award for exhibiting the school’s core value, Compassion, and the 2020 Core Value “Customer Service” Award at her current school.   Ms. Fondren has always had a passion to make a difference in the lives of children. Before working for CISM, she was a Center Director at Girls Incorporated of Memphis,  inspiring girls to be “strong, smart, and bold,” for 10 years. In 2003, Ms. Fondren received a Bachelor of Arts and Science from the University of Memphis, where she majored in Criminal Justice, for she had the desire to become a defense attorney for juveniles to keep them out of jail. However, as she matured, Ms. Fondren changed her career path and decided that becoming a teacher would be more effective in helping youth stay out of the way of the law. As a teacher, Ms. Fondren felt that she would be able to instill morals and values into students that would enhance their lives academically and socially, helping them to make positive decisions in life that would not lead them into a courtroom. As a result, Ms. Fondren continued her education and received a Masters in Education from Cambridge College, Boston, MA, in 2015.  Upon joining the Communities In Schools’ team, Ms. Fondren discovered that she could fulfill her long time desire and passion even more by helping children on numerous levels, removing barriers that cause them to be unsuccessful in life. Ms. Fondren feels that she has found her calling and will continue to do all that she can to make a difference in children’s lives. Additionally, she has two beautiful daughters that she strives to be an excellent role model for.