The Promise Zone

Mr. Mike Helps Students Succeed at The Promise Zone 

By Olivia Sematoske 

With a main goal of helping students succeed academically and self-sufficiently at Liverpool High School, Michael Turk, or more familiarly known as Mr. Mike, works closely at the Student Support Center in room 410 with over 100 LHS students who need additional support in a variety of areas. 

“I do everything from issues they have at home, to doing mental things with them,” says Turk who is the Student Engagement Specialist. 

Alongside Turk, Matthew Barnes, who is a counselor and social worker at Liverpool High School, supports students academically with tutors and academic resources if they are failing classes or just simply need extra support raising their grades. 

Differing from other programs at Liverpool High School, Turk is not limited to the number of students he can support at once. “I don’t have a caseload,” he says, “If there’s 2200 kids here, and if I had to, I could work with 2200 kids.” 

Everyone is welcome, despite who you are, and the limits on assistance are almost nonexistent. “Getting to school on time, not showing up, issues with teachers, if they feel like they’re not being treated fairly, I put out fires and I do de-escalation,” he says, explaining how his services vary. His room is a safe space for any student to receive help with their school work, to have someone to vent to, or to escape the chaos of their day for a while.

Also hosting support groups every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during Academic Advisement, Turk allows students to center their thinking on issues that are bothering them within the high school, aiming to focus on de-escalation and conflict resolution. “My main goal is to help them to graduate,” Turk emphasizes. 

Each morning, he checks in with the students to assure that they are at school, and that they are present for each of their classes as well, aiding in student improvement and efficiency. “Right now, the hardest issue I have with kids in this school is that I have kids that don’t know what they want to do. They have no career plans, so along that way I'm trying to get them to figure out what can help them to motivate them to get out of school.” 

Along with providing academic and mental support services, Turk plays a large role in helping students navigate their plans for after high school. Whether it is a trade school or higher education, such as college. Mr. Mike emphasizes that, ”education is very important,” and wishes to see each and everyone of his students succeed post life at Liverpool High School. 

Acting as a facilitator, Mr. Mike sits outside of the cafeteria during all four lunches, so students can come to him in an easy and accessible manner. “You can get all the resources you need right here, if you use them properly.” Students seem to gravitate towards Mr. Mike, relishing in the support they receive from The Student Support Center.

Even though Mr. Mike is new to the Liverpool district, he already loves every second of his job. Turk takes great pride in being able to connect with students, providing them with tutors and extra instruction to raise their grades, helping to navigate their future endeavors, and simply making sure they come to school each day. The Student Support Center at LHS makes the high school a safer space for students to seek success.