To the stars, through difficulty

It’s not often that one of our own is singled out for national honors. But this week it happened when USA Today’s readers worldwide were treated to a local athlete’s story of triumph.

It’s a big deal for all of us anytime a student athlete makes the switch from high school to competing at a Division 1 school.

In many ways, the Houston Hawk’s Dajonee Hale is the least among us — a homeless teen who had dropped out of school and was trying to make her way in life. But how that tide of tragedy was turned into triumph is flat-out inspiring.

Hale’s success is her own, but she didn’t reach this pinnacle through her singular effort. In this case, it took a community of caring folks and a big-hearted champion with her own hoop dreams to restore Hale’s delayed promise.

We devote a lot of space to keeping our readers updated on My House’s efforts to serve the Valley’s homeless teens. Program director Michelle Overstreet also works at Burchell High School as a life coach, where she helps teens like Hale make plans and move step by step toward their dreams. Often that means she plays the role of a mentor for kids who lack caring adults in their lives to cheer them toward their promise and encourage them to reach for the brightest stars in the most remote galaxies.

When she and Hale connected, Overstreet saw some of herself in the younger woman. Maybe it was the hungry look in her eye as she drove inside for a basket. Or maybe it was that Hale was willing to bring the same work ethic that made her a standout on the basketball court to her academic efforts.

Hale is a fifth-year senior enrolled at Burchell High School and is on track to graduate with the class of 2013 this month. But Burchell doesn’t have a basketball team. So months ago, Overstreet told the teen that if she wanted to play, she’d advocate for the opportunity for her to try out for the Houston Hawks.

“I just said, we’ll make the phone calls we need to make,” Overstreet said. “We’ll call anybody we need to call. If she wants to play ball, she’s going to play ball.”

By that time, Hale had been away from the game for many months and seemed to think the chance to test herself at the college level had passed her by. But with the help of Overstreet and Central Methodist assistant coach Greg Ray — who had coached Hale since she was in fifth or sixth grade — she earned a 4.0 GPA throughout her senior year.

Based on her success in the classroom and on the court, Ray made a special trip to Alaska in March to hand-deliver Hale’s Letter of Intent during the 2013 ASAA/First National Bank 3A State Basketball Championships in Anchorage.

Since her signing, news of her accomplishments has spread throughout the Frontiersman and USA Today’s readership. We’re proud to be even the smallest part of such a good thing.

Join us in congratulating Hale, her family, her supporters and everyone in the community who worked toward this moment of shared pride and celebration. We look forward to celebrating Hale’s continued success for many years to come!