Ariana Rodriguez recently graduated from Common Ground High School in New Haven, CT. She says she is very proud of her accomplishments throughout her four years of high school, and one project of which she is most proud is a video honoring friend and classmate Javier Martinez who died in a shooting in December, 2013.
Part of her video includes research on the correlation between tree cover and violence rates. This research, done by Yale University, shows that violence goes down as tree cover and green spaces go up. Part of that research is included in the video, which shows students and friends planting a tree in remembrance of Javier. Ariana says it is both important to remember her friend, and be a good steward of the environment. Ariana says, “My school helps guide kids not only to a bright future but a meaningful one as well. I started off as a free spirited person coming into Common Ground and left as a leader ready to change the world.” Ariana has also organized projects at Common Ground such as Trees for Peace, and other healing activities as students coped with the loss of their friend. Common Ground was one of the first charter schools approved in Connecticut in the nineties. The school focuses on caring for the environment, sustainability, and connecting the students to the land. Ariana says she has had numerous opportunities for internships at places such as the Nature Conservancy, and has been taking college courses since her sophomore year. She will be attending Southern Connecticut State University, majoring in nursing and minoring in environmental science.She wants to continue to promote goodwill and peace in the world. She says, “I plan to go to third world countries or places that have had disasters and work to set up health tents.” A link to her recent work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nr0H7-ZS6U&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1 This story is part of an ongoing series in the month of June highlighting the success of charter school graduates and schools across the country. Click here to view the latest from #30DaysOfGrad.
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