Student Tianni Whitman with TSC mentor Judy Hans presenting the new sewing machine.
Kathleen Thompson
A beautiful spring day in late March became a very special day for Tianni Whitman, a student with Teens Sew Cool after school sewing program for teen and preteen students. Tianni was surprised and thrilled when she was awarded a brand new Brother Project Runway sewing machine. A very deserving student, she was selected by the Teens Sew Cool Mentors/Teachers due to her outstanding achievements in the TSC Program. During her three years with TSC at Mountain Vista School in Oracle, Tianni has demonstrated great participation and motivation, industriousness and creativity, as well as developing excellent skills in using and maintaining a sewing machine. Tianni’s Dad Brady Whitman and Principal Nannette Soule were on hand to watch Tianní’s surprise and delight at receiving this beautiful machine.
TSC Mentor, Linda Brush, provided Tianni special instruction for using her new machine, which is more sophisticated than the classroom machines. A motivated student in other areas as well, Tianni plays violin in the school orchestra, participates in team softball, enjoys crafts and jewelry-making and volunteers with her father doing community work for their church. Tianni has also expressed great interest in learning more about the traditional arts of her family members—-Navajo weaving on her mother’s side and Tohono O’odham quilt-making on her father’s side. Her new machine will be a great asset in her creative endeavors as she moves into high school and beyond. The TSC staff is proud of Tianni’s achievements, as well as those of all students we have the honor of working with in the program.
Teens Sew Cool would like to thank the SaddleBrooke Rotary, Catalina Elks and the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach for their generous grants this year that allowed Teens Sew Cool to purchase the sewing machines for Tianni and other students earlier in the school year. Teens Sew Cool would also like to thank Cathey’s Sewing and Vacuum for their continued support of our organization. Cathey’s will be providing Tianni with a series of lessons for learning more about how to use the features of her new machine.
Teens Sew Cool is a nonprofit organization which provides sewing instruction for teens and preteens with the goal of giving them skills for future use with the family, or even for income production. TSC mentors often provide one-on-one assistance as students, both boys and girls, gain skills and have fun learning to sew. TSC sessions are offered during the fall and spring at Oracle Mountain Vista and San Manuel Jr./Sr. High Schools at no cost to students. Each session, students complete a variety of projects and participate in a community project, such as making stuffed animals for needy children. Classes usually fill early and many students continue with the program for several years as they develop advanced skills. The TSC mentors are from SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, Oro Valley and Oracle.
For more information, or if you would like to donate fabrics or supplies or become a mentor, contact Teens Sew Cool at our website: www.teenssewcool.org.