Last week families gathered together to celebrate graduations from preschool to high school. It was an exciting moment for Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood (CVPromise) students who will soon begin a new chapter in their lives and further their education.
At Castle Park High School the class valedictorian was CVPromise student Grecia Garcia who has been part of the program for the last three years.
Garcia, who graduated with a 4.33 GPA, will begin an exciting new journey at UC Berkley studying public health in the fall.
Along their middle school and high school journeys, CVPromise students received one-on-one assistance and support from Academic Advocates. Advocates work with the student’s family, school counselor and teachers to create a personal plan and assure students advance to college and in their careers.
“The goal is to bring the whole community together to support the academic success of each individual student,” said David Olivera, program director at South Bay Community Services.
During her graduation speech, her family shared their joy with all around them by holding up a poster that read, “Next Stop, Berkeley.” Garcia will be the first in her family to attend college.
This year also marked the 10th Mi Escuelita graduation. Mi Escuelita Therapeutic Preschool is a school for children affected by family violence. This year’s graduating class was the largest the school has seen, with 36 graduating students. Parents, caregivers, family members and community leaders cheered for these little ones as they received certificates of accomplishment from First 5 San Diego Commissioner Sandy McBrayer, Chula Vista Elementary School District Superintendent Francisco Escobedo and Ron Cohn from Sprouts Chula Vista & Eastlake.
“Your children are going to do better than most of our kids coming into our district because of the quality education at Mi Escuelita,” said Superintendent Francisco Escobedo. “This is a partnership that I cherish tremendously. I really think this is the diamond in our district.”
Mi Escuelita students also received special certificates from Congressman Juan Vargas and Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez. The children’s time at Mi Escuelita was not only one of learning, but one of healing as well.
This year also marks the third Escuelita del Futuro preschool graduation. Escuelita Del Futuro is specially designed to support English Language learners.
Thirty little ones completed the program and 75% passed the Kindergarten Readiness Test, exiting with skills for a successful entry into kindergarten.
Castle Park kindergarteners tested higher in readiness testing compared to the national average of 48% of children who face similar economic challenges.
Joyful and grateful families attended the graduations and watched as their children advanced to their promising future.
Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood (CVPromise) is coordinated by South Bay Community Services and is proud to partner with Castle Park Elementary, Castle Park Middle, Castle Park High School, Hilltop Middle and Hilltop High School to bring new opportunities and pathways of success for their students and families. For more information or to inquire about enrollment, please visit CVPromise.org or call (619)422-5005.
Hernandez is an intern at South Bay Community Services.
