Program News 2001
25 Young People Embrace a Second Chance at Success
On the evening of June 26th, twenty-five young women and men who had previously lost all hope of graduating from high school, defied the odds by receiving their diplomas from South Brooklyn Community Academy (SBCA). The graduates of SBCA, Good Shepherd Services' community high school program for former drop-outs and young people at high-risk for academic failure, not only fulfilled the stringent graduation requirements enacted by the Board of Education, but gained the skills and confidence to continue their educational careers via college or vocational training.
The graduation ceremony drew smiles and tears from the program participants and their families, as these former high school drop-outs spoke to the audience of the many obstacles they had encountered on their journey to achieving their diploma. Each graduate had a unique story to tell but there were many common themes. The majority had initially attended the local zone high school, John Jay, a school plagued with high academic risk factors and truancy rates. Struggling with issues such as teen pregnancy, parental illness or substance abuse, they were unable to find the support they needed in the large, impersonal school.
Yet, the prevailing sentiments at the graduation ceremony were overwhelmingly positive, as graduates spoke of their appreciation of the staff of SBCA for their support, nurturance, and faith in the potential of each young person. Graduate Rosemary Diaz expressed her gratitude to the SBCA program director, Mayra Lopez, for her unfailing commitment, "Mayra has been more than just a program director. She has been a friend who has pushed me into reaching my goals, who believed in me when no one else, including myself, did." Numerous students described their previous high school experiences, comparing them to the strong sense of community and encouraging atmosphere of SBCA. "I was absent a lot and late almost everyday, I never used to want to go the school," said Tiffany Aristy, "In my third year of high school, I came to South Brooklyn Community Academy. That year, my life changed."
This graduation ceremony for the South Brooklyn Community Academy class of 2001 was the first to be held in its new and permanent home, the Good Shepherd Services Center in Red Hook. A symbol of Good Shepherd's commitment to Red Hook and the South Brooklyn community, this state-of-the-art facility is equipped with modern computer and science labs, a foreign language room, library and gymnasium-all invaluable resources for engaging students in education and youth development activities.
Of the twenty-five young graduates of the SBCA class of 2001, four have pursued employment, four will be attending vocational training, and 17 have applied to or been accepted to various colleges and universities including St. Francis College, Mount Ida, Queens Borough Community College, Kingsborough Community College, New York City College, New York City Technical College, the College of Staten Island, LaGuardia and Borough of Manhattan Community College.
June 30, 2001
