Say Yes to Education

Jermaine Ollivierre’s Story:
Today, Jarmaine Ollivierre is an aerospace engineer at NASA, and a cum laude graduate from Tuskegee University with a dual bachelor’s degree in physics and aeronautical engineering. He also has a master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.  

When he was in the fifth grade, however, Jarmaine was a special education student living in a West Philadelphia neighborhood where the high school graduation rate for the class prior to his was only 26 percent. Jarmaine’s mother, Patricia, the bedrock of his life, and, in his own words, the source of his motivation, was a single parent who worked two jobs to support her three children (Jarmaine, his older sister, Marian, and an older brother, Michael, who was born with hydrocephalus and needed round-the-clock care).  

So how did Jarmaine defy the odds to become one of Say Yes’ exceptional success stories? He credits his accomplishments to the decision by George Weiss to say “YES” to his education.  

Patricia A. Ollivierre had no idea that by successfully advocating for Jarmaine to stay at the Belmont Elementary school after 5thgrade (Belmont had a stronger specialized curriculum than his neighborhood school) that she was inadvertently putting her son into what would soon become the first Say Yes group: 112 students who were promised a free college education if they graduated from high school. Upon learning of the Say Yes promise, Ms. Ollivierre was stunned at the enormity of the gift. Eventually she saw the offer as a gift from God.   

Say Yes, recognizing Jarmaine’s talent, quickly arranged a wide range of supports for him. First, they recommended Jarmaine for a prestigious summer program at the  University of Pennsylvania, where he worked with a physics professor on robots and programming. The organization also arranged for him to receive SAT tutoring, stressed the importance of maintaining a strong GPA, and connected him to a series of important mentors, including Kevin Mahoner, Robert Bright, a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, and Mike Clemens, who worked for Boeing and gave him insight into the working life of an engineer.   

Thanks to Say Yes, his mother’s unwavering belief in him, and his own determination, Jarmaine graduated from high school and then applied and was accepted to Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he earned a double degree in aerospace engineering and physics on a Say Yes scholarship, carrying an impressive eighteen credit course load every semester. After college, Jarmaine spent two years working in Salt Lake City  before landing his current position at NASA in Houston, Texas. He also earned his master’s degree.  

Jarmaine says that the contribution Say Yes has made to his life has been “immeasurable.” “Without their support, the road would have been a lot harder, definitely,” he adds. And the road he’s been launched on is still opening up before him.

Jarmaine’s mother has urged him to get an M.B.A. or Ph.D. in aerospace engineering. “By the time he’s 35, I’d like him to be able to write his own ticket,” she says. “I always tell my children: I’ve given you the best I have. You give yourself more.”  Jarmaine recently demonstrated the depth of his commitment to his family and the values his mother instilled in them by volunteering to donate a kidney to his older sister, Marian, who was struggling on dialysis. Since the surgeries, both Marian and Jarmaine have made a full recovery and are doing well. Jarmaine remains in close contact with his mother and siblings, as well as with Mr. Weiss, to whom he is forever grateful.  

The graduation rate for Jarmaine’s class in Say Yes’ Belmont group was 62 percent, compared to 26 and 28 percent graduation rates, respectively, for non-Say Yes students the year before and the year after (1992 and 1994).

Say Yes to Education:
Say Yes to Education, Inc. (Say Yes) is a national, non-profit education foundation committed to dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for our nation's inner-city youth.

Say Yes begins when a child enters kindergarten and continues through high school and beyond. The range of services Say Yes offers across its Chapters include everything from after-school and summer programming, mentoring, tutoring, and school-day academic support to family outreach, scholarships, and social work/ psychological services.

Additionally, Say Yes partners provide high-quality health care and legal assistance. These services help to create a positive, sustaining framework for each student's academic experience, one that encourages and rewards continued effort.

Say Yes recognizes the daunting challenges faced by children living in poverty, and believes children can overcome these challenges when given significant, holistic support. Say Yes is committed to providing this support to at-risk children and their families, enabling them to graduate from high school, accomplish post-secondary educational success, and achieve meaningful life goals, including giving back to their communities.