Back to school: IWR superstars talk about dedication, hard work
MONROE — Insane Wrestling Revolution pro wrestlers recently stepped out of the squared circle to meet with students at Arborwood North Elementary.
IWR wrestlers Terrance Gerin, WWE superstar better known as Rhyno/Rhino, and Kenny Urban with Goose attended an afterschool program to talk about their careers in the ring.
According to Gary Pillette, local event promoter and co-owner of IWR, about 20 students in grades K-6 attended the event to hear the wrestlers talk about dedication and hard work.
“A lot of the kids were WWE fans. They asked about wrestling John Cena and The Rock,” Gary Pillette said. “They asked a lot of fun questions and made us coloring pages of wrestlers and WWE belts.”
One of the adults in attendance asked how wrestling has affected their mental health. Some of the students asked about how to become a wrestler. Due to safety, both athletes discouraged the students from wrestling at home.
Pillette said being involved in the community and being able to connect with students means a lot to the IWR family.
“Even if it’s not about wrestling, just to be there and have someone there for them to talk with is important,” he said. “It’s fun and it’s rewarding to see the kids smile.”
At the end of the program, the IWR superstars took time out for photos.
Under the direction of Shelley Saltsman, the afterschool, grant-based program is part of Michigan’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and currently offered at two Monroe elementary schools: Arborwood North and Waterloo.
“It started in 2019 and is federally funded,” Saltsman said. “We are up for grant renewal. It’s a five-year grant and we’re hoping to find out at the end of May or early June if we’ll be able to continue the program. It’s a very competitive process.”
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Saltsman, a former Monroe educator for 26 years, said the program helps students meet state and local academic standards in core academic subjects like reading and math. Students can participate in a variety of educational activities including literacy.
After retiring from Airport schools in June 2023, Saltsman took the position of 21st CCLC program director in December.
The purpose of the program is to provide federal funds to support the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during out-of-school hours, particularly for students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.
“The program is awesome,” Saltsman said. “It runs Monday through Thursday, 3:30 to 6 p.m., and the program is free for families. We provide snacks and dinner. We provide STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities, math and reading intervention, and we do field trips. We bring in special guests, like the wrestlers. When we’re planning our programming, our main focus is career exploration.”
Saltsman said the goal is to get students active, moving and learning in fun ways.
“We’d really like to grow the program,” she said. “That’s one of the main reasons I stepped in.”
The program will finish May 30 at the end of the school year but summer programs are available.
More information can be found on the Monroe Public School’s website.
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Back to school: IWR superstars talk about dedication, hard work
