Biography

Co-Founders Anja Thiessen and Bianca Zaharescu have been involved with student enrichment in the Clarksdale region since their respective high school years, working as teacher’s assistants at Sherard Elementary and volunteering both at after school hours and through Habitat for Humanity. These years of service provided both Local Heroes with long lasting relationships to the students they taught.  Both Anja and Bianca left Clarksdale for college and professional experience, but they consistently returned to maintain those relationships until they eventually moved back to make a bigger impact on the students they had known, many of whom were now of high school age.

Anja and Bianca’s mission is to empower at-risk, impoverished youth who attend under-resourced public schools. They provide educational support that focuses on strengthening academic prowess, imbibing the students with self-confidence and building lasting, enriching relationships between the students and their Spring Initiative teachers. Spring Initiative works specifically with students recommended to them by various school counselors and teachers, thus focusing on kids who need individualized attention the most. Through this work, they have provided a 24/7 stable relationship for the students to depend on. After two years in the program, 93% of the students have improved their grades while making incredible strides dealing with their own behavioral issues.