Winning!

I've mentioned before that living in New York is a lot like living in another world! Things like running to buy groceries, doing laundry, and even getting to school take a lot more effort than they ever did in Texas.  One thing that growing up in Cleburne made easy was choosing my high school.  There was one option, CHS.  We all attended the same school.  At least, we all went into the same building.  Looking back, I know that there were so many different educational experiences going on within the same walls.  After leaving home to teach in Grand Prairie and Duncanville, I was thrilled to see students had options to apply to specialized high schools. For a moment, I thought about how wonderful it would have been to have those same options.  Then, as I took a step back, I saw how even with all those options, many students did not have the preparation to be able to qualify for any of the specialized schools they might be interested in.  I would have been one of those kids.  I wouldn't have known how to apply.  I could not be more grateful for my parents and their amazing hearts.  There was never a moment they did not give everything they had and more to provide anything I needed (and more often than not anything I wanted).  However, they would not have had the information needed to help me prepare to apply for a specialized school.  

For several years I've been able to watch as Josh, our youth director, works with our students to apply for high schools.  It is very common for families to choose the school that is closest to home.  There is a phonebook sized catalog with all of the high schools available to choose from.  It takes months of research, preparation, and planning to apply to these schools.  Just as my loving parents would have been overwhelmed by this process, many of our students' families find themselves at a loss as to where to begin.  This year, Ana and her mom walked through this process with Josh's help.  It was awesome to see them get much needed guidance and feel empowered to dream big. After months of hard work, Josh was able to be a part of the big reveal! Ana found out that she was selected to attend her number 2 choice! This was such a win! Her school has a great graduation rate and offers extra curricular programs that she is so excited about in addition to being an easy commute! Thank you for praying for our families and our staff as we continue to work with families in the South Bronx.