LAYC Youth Speak Up on Community Policing

Teresa Gomez, from LAYC’s Girls Leadership testified in May hearings led by Vincent C. Gray, Chair of the DC City Council. Each month, Mr. Grey holds hearings at which young people across the city have the opportunity to elevate issues affecting their community. Teresa, who also participated in February in the coordination of DC’s first Latino Youth Summit, spoke about the need for the police department to assign community police officers back in the Columbia Heights neighborhoods.

Good Morning My name is Teresa Gomez, and I am 17 years old. I live in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Ward 1. I have participated in the Girl’s Group at the Latin American Youth Center for the last two years.

I would like to speak about the issue of police officers in my neighborhood. For many years, there were a number of police officers assigned to the Columbia Heights area that worked out of an office on Park Road. Some of the officer’s names were Sergeant Aguilar and Officer Andres Marcucci. They were good officers who cared about the youth and the community. They made themselves available to us anytime we needed them, and they were always walking and driving around in the neighborhood.

For some reason the police department decided to send these officers downtown, and they are no longer working in the neighborhood. We don’t really see them around anymore, and it is harder to keep in touch. Also, there are more gang incidents in my neighborhood. MS-13 and other gangs have been more active because they don’t see officers they know on the streets as much, or see the officers who used to reach out to them and the community.

I’ve had the personal experience of having the help and support of Officer Marcucci. He has often talked to me over the phone telling me to do the right thing, for example, when other youth wanted to start a fight or making problems with who I hung out with. One time, he helped me get eyeglasses. I have seen him help other girls and boys at the Center, too.

I would like you to please consider getting the police department to put the community police officers back in my neighborhood. Community police help individuals like me and the community as a whole.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Students at Charter School Take the Next Step in Their Lives

By Edgar Martinez
LAYC Communications Intern/Events Correspondent

As we reached the end of the school year we ended with proud memories and great successes.

These past two weeks, I have attended two graduation ceremonies in which students have been celebrated for their hard work and determination to become productive adults.

One of the graduations I attended was the Next Step Public Charter School graduation.

Parents and staff members at the event were proud to be there supporting the students.

During his speech Juan Carlos Martinez, principal of Next Step, acknowledged the student’s hard work.

He expressed how proud he was to see his students succeed and surpass life’s obstacles.

“If you have the will and determination you could achieve anything in life”, said Martinez.

According to some of the school’s students at the graduation ceremony, Next Step staff’s dedication contributed it to their accomplishments.

Ulyses Avila, one of the graduating students, is thankful to all the staff for motivating him and given him a second opportunity to overcome his problems.

Hector Lopez, considered himself to be a troubled youth in the past who did not know what to do with his life. Before entering Next Step, he was dealing with drug problems and other personal issues. “Next Step has made a big impact in my life because they directed me in a positive direction,” said Hector who aspires to become one of the city’s best poets.

LAYC’s Next Step/El Próximo Paso Public Charter School founded in 1996 offers teen parents and other young people who have dropped out or have never been to school in this country a flexible, individualized education that can include instruction in English, high school equivalency courses (GED), and work experience.

Next Step Public Charter School has a diverse immigrant population which is combined of recent immigrants or young people who were born or grew up in the United States, but have found it difficult to achieve success in traditional public schools.

YouthBuild Public Charter School Students Graduate: Students Transformed Their Lives and Communities

By Edgar Martinez
LAYC’s Communications Intern/Events Correspondent

YouthBuild Public Charter School held a graduation ceremony that honored its students who pushed themselves to succeed and surpass obstacles preventing them from moving forward.

Five students completed the entire course of the program, and thirty-four were promoted to the next level.

I found that the students moving to the next level were filled with joy and pride.

“YouthBuild opened great doors of opportunities for troubled youth,” said Olu Osun, a participant at YouthBuild.

According to what some students at the ceremony said, they are very thankful to YouthBuild because the program and staff gave them a second chance when everybody else said no.

Parents, student’s friends, Youtbuild representatives and other YouthBuild supporters including honorable council member Jim Graham, who expressed feeling honored to participate in the ceremony, attended the event.

Lori Kaplan, executive director at the Latin American Youth Center, gave a very motivational speech. “I am proud to see the YouthBuild family reach their goals of success,” Kaplan said.

Dr. Ivan Walks, former Chief Medical Officer for Washington D.C spoke a little bit about YouthBuild and how proud he was about this program and its contribution to the community. Dr. Walks stated that he was delighted about the opportunities YouthBuild provided young troubled teens.

At the ceremony, there were a lot of other proud supporter who were happy to support students on such special day.

Wilfredo Ramos, one of the graduating students, said he felt proud he was completing the program and added he was thankful to the staff that motivated him to strive for the best.

“Before YouthBuild, I was a troubled teen who was involved with drugs and other problems in life but my experience in YouthBuild changed my life dramatically,” said Wilfredo.

Nelson Sanchez, another YouthBuild student, stated that he will always remember the YouthBuild staff who he refers to as his YouthBuild family because they gave him another opportunity to do better . “They always gave me the right motivation to strive for the best and always keep on moving forward,” he concluded.

Edgar Martinez participated at LAYC’s job readiness/GED preparation WISE program and a communications intern. He is currently pursuing his GED and hopes to attend college to study a communications career.