In the former industrial center of Camden, New Jersey, a city with the highest crime rate in the United States, Tawanda Jones drills over 300 children at Camden Sophisticated Sisters. Practice starts at 5pm, but doesn’t really get going until 5:30pm, after “Miss Wawa” has hugged and kissed all the kids. Jones sets a tough standard: each team member must complete 200 hours of community service, keep up with homework, maintain at least a C average in school, and come to practice on time. The results? In a city with a 50% high school drop out rate, 100% of Miss Wawa’s kids have graduated, with many going on to college and graduate programs. –
