Transfer Schools
A Letter to Prospective Students
Dear Students,
Congratulations for taking the first step towards a brighter future. I made the decision to strive two years ago. It was my first smart decision in a long time.
I bet that you attended a few other high schools that were very much the same – fist fights, teachers who don’t know you, difficult security guards, and no support. Every day was the same. As tired as you were, you waited on a long line to get scanned. You made it upstairs a little late so you had to go into the office to get a late pass. You walked into your math class and as usual it was so packed that you had to interrupt another class in session to ask if you could borrow a chair. If you were ever as unlucky as me, there might have been a time when you had to sit on the floor for 45 minutes. You had no idea what the math teacher was talking about. You were walking toward your next class when you notice another obstacle in your way – a crowd of students blocking your way to English. This was everything but surprising. It was just another day. How do I know all of this? Well almost every high school is the same and I was once a high school student.
I hated school and I did everything I could to stay away from it, including lying to my parents. I didn’t want to go to school and that was that. Nobody was going to make me go. A year went by. I had transferred to a different school by then, but things had only gotten worse. I was running out of lies and places to cut school in. It was getting frustrating and boring. It got so out of hand and the New York City Administration for Children’s Services was soon involved. Then one day, I received a letter from South Brooklyn Community High School inviting me into their school.
The school was exactly what I needed. When I went on my first interview I noticed how organized and clean it was. The person who interviewed me convinced me that this school was going to be different from other high schools. She was right.
On my first day of school, I realized that SBCHS was more than I had hoped for. It was the cleanest school I had ever been in. The bathroom had no missing doors and there was always soap and napkins. The teachers were the best. They never failed to give me a sincere smile. I was never afraid to ask any of them for help. They were willing to do anything (even stay after school!) to help me. Believe me when I tell you this – You are going to learn so much. I always hated math, but when I got to SBCHS I realized that that was only because I didn’t know it. I learned math for the first time in my life thanks to my math teacher there. Word of advice, don’t try to cut class here.
This is actually not just another high school. You will have your own Advocate Counselor who you will soon consider a close friend. Yes, this person will come out as extremely annoying to you at first. He will call your house non-stop if you’re absent or even five minutes late. This is not just because it’s his job. It’s because he really cares about you and your education. My counselor picked me up at my house just to get me to school (I’m not lying!) and to this day, he still calls to see how I’m doing. Your new school will not only provide you with great teachers and counselors, it also offers many helpful programs. The Learning to Work Program (LTW) is one of them. Through LTW, I was able to find two paid internships.
I came into SBCHS with only 13 credits and I was able to graduate at 17, three months before my actual graduation date. Now, I’m 18 and on my way to college. I wasn’t just lucky. I took an opportunity and I didn’t let it slip away. This is your education you’re playing with. Your future depends on this and there are so many people (including your parents) that are there to support you. Don’t give up. We all believe you can do it.
Sincerely,
Carmen Natalie Rios
SBCHS Alumnus
