By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Cassopolis sophomore Carmelita Peak, 15, hopes to eventually be admitted to the University of Michigan to become a pediatrician.
But until medicine wins out over music, she composed and performed a winning song for the inaugural Asset-Building Celebration Tuesday evening at Southwestern Michigan College's Mathews Conference Center East.
An audience of more than 150 people voted for Carmelita's original song as the best fit for the soundtrack for the asset-building video they saw, then listening to Carmelita and two other talent show acts, vocalist Monique Harris of Cassopolis and Jake Bjork's Dowagiac rock band, The Do-Nothing Kings.
Cass County Human Services Coordinating Council sponsored the event as part of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative.
Attendees included families, students, teachers and administrators from all four public school districts, Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Edwardsburg and Marcellus.
Mark Herman, president of the Youth Council, and Lloyd Hamilton of Lewis Cass Intermediate School District hosted the event.
Another component of the program was two panelists describing their families' struggles and how, with a helping relationship and services, their family was able to make significant changes.