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8RenovatorofLivesSittingatherdesk,BettyHinesrippedopenalettermarkedpersonalandstartedtoread.Youmaynotrememberme.Igraduatedin1985,itbegan.Hinesglancedatthesignature,andhermindfilledwithmemoriesofMendezandherfirstdaysataDetroithighschool.ShehadbattledwithMendezalmostfromthebeginning,doggingthetruantjuniortoshapeup.Itwasthesamechallengeshehadfacedwithsomanystudents.In1984HinescametoSouthwesternHighSchoolasthenewprincipal.Thewindowsrattledinthewind.Theroofsleaked.Everyroomseemedtoneedrepair.Worse,studentsroamedthehalls,somewearinggangcolors.Classroomswereoftenemptyduetotruancyanda38-percentdropoutrate.Afterfirstsurveyingtheschool,Hinesreturnedtoheroffice,pulledoutawritingpadandbeganwriting.Wecan'tteachthemifthey'renothere.Wecan'tgetthemhereifwedon'toffertrainingtheycanuse.Oncehere,wemustprovideasafe,clean,caringenvironment.Hinesdidn'tjustwanttoredecorateaschool.Shewantedtorenovatethelivesofherstudents.Hinesfirstorganizedparent,studentandteachergroupstoimprovethesite.Ittookfouryears,buteverywindowwaseventuallyreplaced,andrepairsweremadetothedamagedareas.Shealsotackledtheattendanceproblem,markedbytheregularabsenceofnearly30percentofthestudents.Sheinitiatedincentiveprograms,includinginternshipswithlocalbusinesses,andsheguaranteedtoteachusefulskillstoallthosewhomaintainedacertaingradelevel.Today,attendanceisat90percent.WhenHinesrealizedthatthemajorityofstudentsgettingscholarshipassistancewereathletes,shestartedbangingoncorporatedoorsandapplyingforgrants.Since1988,scholarshipawardstotalingnearly$9millionhavegonetoherstudentsforacademicachievements.Intheearliestdays,however,therewerefewincentivesforkidstostickwithschool.Togetthemback,shesometimesdrovethroughthecommunitytofindthem.Shehoundedagangmemberinjustthisway.Oneafternoonshewenttotheboy'shometoseeifhewasdoinghisschoolwork,onlytofindhewasn'tthere.Withoutasecondthought,shedrovethrougheverystreet.Whenshespottedhimhangingwithhisbuddies,shepulledup.Getinthecar,shesaidcalmly.Noway,hesaid.Getin,orI'lldragyouin,insistedHines.Unwillingly,theboycomplied,andHinestookhimhometohismotherwherethethreetalkedformorethananhour.Afterward,theboyslowlybegantoimprove.Hestillneededconstantsupervision,buttheprincipalneverflinched.Thenighthegraduated,hecaughtHinescompletelyoffguard.Hetookhisdiploma,thenembracedher.Heburiedhisheadonhershoulder,sobbingwithoutshameashisclassmateseruptedincheers.Now,BettyHineshasbuiltateachingstaffthatmirrorsherbeliefsaboutrenovatingthelivesofstudentswhohavebeenworndownorbroken.Hinesexplains,There'ssomethingineveryyoungpersonthatcanbecultivatedintogreatness.9YoungMuhammadAliThe12-year-oldboyhadriddenhisnewbicycletoanannualmeetingatthecenterofthecity,duringwhichbusinessmenwouldgivechildrenballoonsandicecream.Totheboy'sdismay,hisnewbikewasstolenatthemeeting.Intears,thechildtoldsomeonehewantedtoreportthecrime.Hewasledtothenearestpoliceman,whowasOfficerJoeMartin,alsoaboxingcoachatthelocalboxingclub.TheboytoldMartinhewouldbeatthepersonwhostolehisbike.Well,Martintoldhim,you'dbettercomebackhereandlearnhowtofight.Theboy,whoweighedinat89pounds,becameamemberinJoeMartin'sclubandremainedtherethroughoutasix-yearamateurboxingcareer.Itwasthefirststeponapaththatwastoleadhimtobecomeoneofthemostfamousboxersofalltime.Fortheboy'snamewasCassiusClay.Lookingbackonthoseearlyyears,ChristineMartin,Joe'swife,remembersdrivinggroupsofteenagerstoboxingmatches,rollingfromtowntotowninawagon.Inthosedays,theblackboyscouldn'tgointotherestaurants,soshedidn'ttakeanyoftheboysin.She'djustgoinherselfandgetwhattheywanted.Christinesaid,Cassiuswasaveryeasy-to-get-along-withfellow.Veryeasytohandle.Verypolite.Whateveryouaskedhimtodo,that'swhathe'ddo.Hewasawonderfulperson.Graduallyhewasgainingweightanddevelopingeverybitofhistalent.AtCentralHighSchoolinthosedays,Claywasknownasthekidwhowouldn'tsmoke,whowouldn'tdrinkevensoda,whowasveryshy,especiallyaroundgirls.Hisfirstkiss,itissaid,madehimfaint.Hewasremembered,aboveall,asakidobsessedwithboxing.Teachersallbelievedthatifhehadnotbeenaboxer,hewouldnothavestoodoutinanyway.Hewasnotagoodstudent,oneteachersaid.Schoolwassomethinghedidbecausehewassupposedto.ButClaywasneverreferredtohisteachersasabehavioralprobleminschool.Lookingbackonthoseearlyyears,longafterhehadchangedhisnameandwayoflife,Claywastorecall:IwasCassiusClaythen.IwasaNegro.Iatepork.Ihadnoconfidence.Ithoughtwhitepeopleweresuperior.IwasakidnamedCassiusClay.AfterhewonanOlympicgoldmedalasan18-year-oldin1960,hewasmetbythemayorandabout200friendsandfans.Herodeina30-carmotorcadetoawelcome-homepartyattheCentralHighSchool.Hehadearned100victoriesin108amateurbouts,includingmanynationaltitlesandnowtheOlympicgoldmedal.Afterthat,Aliwastobecomeaprofessionalinboxing.Attheageof21,AliwasinspiredbyahumanrightsactivisttobecomeamemberoftheMuslimfaithandgiventhenameMuhammadAli.Itwasnotjustaname,butatitlemeaningbelovedofAllah.10LookGreatforFreeMichaelandSusancan'tevenbuyapairofshoesthesedayswithoutbeingrecognized.SincetheyappearedontheTVshowExtremeMakeoverearlierthismonth,undergoing$300,000worthofplasticsurgeryandthenmarrying