Program News 2002
Another Success Story from Our South Brooklyn Community Academy Program
Anthony had been out of school for more than a year when he began to receive many letters and phone calls from students and counselors at Good Shepherd's South Brooklyn Community Academy (SBCA) inviting him to visit their program. Anthony ignored them for quite a while, "I didn't believe that high school was the place for me at that point in time. I wasn't ready but I was surprised that they didn't give up and wanted to talk to me about what I needed to do to finish my education." Eventually, Anthony recognized the need to get his life back on track and so he contacted the staff at SBCA.
What most impressed Anthony when he visited SBCA was the strong sense of community he experienced. "They made me feel that I was coming into a new home, they welcomed me with open arms. The students and staff told me that they wanted to hear from me." The personalized learning environment and the presence of a caring advocate counselor gave Anthony the support structure he needed to succeed in his studies. "My Advocate Counselor stayed next to me every step of the way. The entire Good Shepherd staff cared and looked after me - helping me to make sure that problems in and out of school didn't get in the way of my graduation."
Anthony earned his high school diploma in January 2002 and plans to go on to culinary school in the near future. In the interim, he has been working as a Group Leader in the after-school program of Good Shepherd's Red Hook Community Center Beacon at PS 15, where he has initiated a cooking class for the children. Anthony has gained further opportunities to develop his leadership skills through his involvement as a youth representative on the Good Shepherd Services-BASIS planning team for our new school for out-of-school youth in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Says Anthony, "It was important to know that students had a voice in the process and that what I said was taken seriously. With the New Century grant I have been part of creating a new school for many future students to come to, who, as I did, may also believe that school is not the place for them. The new school will be a place where they, too, can find a place to belong and to contribute. I am thrilled I was able to give back to the Red Hook Community by helping to create a new school for future graduates."
May 9, 2002
