Eseme’s Story

Eseme Koge is a lead teacher for MHP’s Great Achievers Towards Outstanding Results (GATOR) program. His work supports GATOR’s goal of strengthening students’ math, science, and reading skills. GATOR is part of the larger MHP Community Life after-school enrichment program, which reaches more than 400 children. Some of the projects that Eseme has worked on with his students have ranged from art activities like graffiti, spray paint activities, or clay sculpting, to science activities, experimentations with lasers and light, as well as more traditional activities like writing and reading. 

With an interest in the intersection between art and technology, Eseme impacts his students by introducing them to creative projects that challenge their ability to create and develop things like paint, 3D modeling, 3D sculpting, and so on. “Something that I find incredibly exciting about the potential of the students participating in the art community in Wheaton is that the kids already have a very strong desire to create,” he said. “Many times, when I provide them with free time, they’re begging to do some type of art activity, to be allowed to draw, to be allowed to explore different ways to use art.” Eseme is excited about the upcoming MHP $150 million Wheaton Art Culture Center, saying such a facility will allow resident students to find more creative outlets and more ways to express themselves about how they could potentially go into career paths. 

Eseme said while MHP programs provide educational opportunities for the development of its resident children, it also offers them a home structure. “It’s really reinforced that there is a community or there are groups of kids within these programs that really need the program to provide them with educational opportunities,” he said. 

Please watch and learn more about Eseme’s story in the video below.