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.
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