I came to this country with my parents when I was 18 years old. The first question the Community Leader asked me was whether I planned to attend school or go straight to work. I knew I needed more education to be able to support myself and help my family, so I chose school. At the time, I thought it would be a miracle to get my high school diploma and associate degree. I didn’t even think of a 4-year college.
Everything was different in America. I was “different” in America. I found myself more worried about my accent than my academics. I felt isolated and hopeless, and I considered giving up on school. But a fortunate meeting introduced me to Higher Ground Academy, and my parents encouraged me to enroll. Suddenly I had the opportunity to continue my education without feeling out of place! Higher Ground is more than a school. Higher Ground is a community of students, teachers, parents, and administrators who share the same culture and values. At Higher Ground, we share the same “normal.” The students don’t have to worry about how they will be received by their teachers and peers—they can concentrate on learning without the fear of being different. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools works diligently to bring choice and parity to the public school system so that all students receive the education they need and deserve. You can give more parents, like mine, the opportunity to choose a school that will best serve their child. Thanks to the culture of caring I encountered at Higher Ground, by my senior year I not only envisioned myself as a college graduate, but I was prepared for the challenge. In 2011, I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Elementary Education, and in 2014, I earned my Master’s degree in School Counseling from the University of Wisconsin. Now I’ve returned to Higher Ground as the school guidance counselor to help other young people overcome adversity to reach their goals. Recently, I was able to help a young man who was struggling with his education and wanted to quit. I talked with him, mentored him, and assured him that he could succeed. His father came to me later and said “you are the second father to my child.” You see, because public charter schools enable parents to find the right education center for their child, the school becomes part of the family culture, the family story, and the family’s success.
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