Success Stories

Meet Ada Messner: Open Doors Academy Sixth Grade Scholar in Lima, Ohio

Ada, who joined Open Doors Academy at the beginning of this school year, spoke with us about the new experiences she's had since joining. The sixth grade scholar in our Lima, Ohio program also shared advice for others thinking about signing up for ODA.

Great to meet you, Ada! Can you tell us a little about why you decided to join Open Doors Academy?

Every student at school was given a paper about it. I don't really have anything to do at home – maybe reading or doing my chores – so coming here after school was something I could do.

What were your first impressions of Open Doors Academy?

I thought it was going to be fun and a good time. And I still think that! I like that we try new things and see new things.

Can you tell us about a memory so far?

One time we did CPR, which I really liked. We got to learn how to pump and see how many pumps each person needs. I remember a baby takes a minute, a toddler takes about 3 minutes, I think, and an adult takes longer. I forget exactly how long, but we got to learn to pump. We got to practice on a dummy, and it was pretty cool.

Did someone come in and train you?

Yes, there were two people who were professionals who showed us what to do.

What are some other things you've done?

We play games and have competitions. Sometimes we go to the gym just to have fun. One of the games we play is called Fishy Fishy. You have two people, or one in the middle, who have to try to tag everybody on one side. If you make it past, you hit the other side. You have to tag everyone else so you can finish the game. It’s fun.

It sounds like it! Have you made new friends since you started?

I know most people already, but I’ve made a few new friends.

Has being at ODA helped you improve your schoolwork?

Yes, because we have homework to finish and I get to do that here. The adults take their time to help us and I like that. It means we don't have to ask for help so much at home.

You mentioned you like to read. What are you reading right now?

I like the Percy Jackson series. The Lightning Thief is good. I also like Lilo and Stitch books.

Those are all fun books! What advice would you give someone who is considering joining ODA?

I would tell them it’s nice to try new things. They should try it out because you don’t know how much fun it will be until you try. When I joined, I was shy at first, but it was so much fun I got into it. I got to try CPR. I'd never done that before, and it was a good surprise.

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