Religion, specifically Christianity, was a guiding force for some. The Class of 2000 project also chronicled a cultural gulf that came with Hmong immigration to the Twin Cities. These 26 kids weren't handpicked, but were together in the right place at the right time, and they did nothing to call attention to themselves other than live their lives. The voices were diverse and unique to this newspaper and community, and through 12 years of patient storytelling, they showed and told us what it was like to grow up on the eve of the 21st century. Guiding hands Adult mentors made strong impacts on many in the Class of 2000, but none to such a degree as with Devon Smith.
Drugs often pass hands in quiet daylight just a few yards from Devon's front lawn.
To look at him in first grade, it seemed only a matter of time before Devon just eased on down the block and joined the crowd. He longed for attention, detoured to the slightest distraction and lived without either parent in his everyday life. His grandmother, Ruthie Smith, raised Devon on her own, propping him up with pride and encouragement. Just as Devon looked to slip from her grasp, Arlington High School football coach Coleman McDonough scooped him up, instilled and enforced the value of discipline and helped Devon believe in himself. On the verge of expulsion for behavioral problems early in his sophomore year, Devon rebounded to win an award from the school for his strong academic comeback, then used football as the motivation to go to classes and keep his grades up through graduation.