Hollister
– High school is tough enough. Peer pressure, the opposite sex
and squabbles with parents can all make four years of secondary
education seem nearly impossible.
Hollister – High school is tough enough. Peer pressure, the opposite sex and squabbles with parents can all make four years of secondary education seem nearly impossible.
Combine all that with the challenges of work, learning a second language, helping raise siblings and moving around the country once or twice each year, and getting a diploma begins to seem impossible.
But for many of the roughly 200 students enrolled in San Benito High School’s migrant education evening summer school, these obstacles are commonplace. Far from giving up, however, these students are taking classes at night when conventional summer school just won’t fit into their summers.
“I think this is just the best thing for our schedules,” said Marlene Servin, an incoming senior who is working full time at a pizza parlor for the summer. “If you take summer school during the day you really can’t work because the laws say you have to stop at 10 (pm) anyways, so this way everybody can do both.”
The program offers students a chance to take a semester’s worth of classes over the course of six weeks, by attending class from 7-9pm every weeknight. The program is only open to migrant ed students – mostly students who are new to the country or are first- or second-generation citizens, with families working in the planting or harvesting side of the food production industry. SBHS has more than 600 migrant students on campus during the year, but only around a third of them opt to take night summer work.
“These kids have a lot in common,” said Frank Muro, the high school’s migrant ed program specialist who oversees the summer program. “Their families all work in the same business, they all speak Spanish, they’re all Latino. It’s very easy for them to be comfortable with each other.”
Students are placed in economics, government, math, English, science, computer or ESL courses, depending on their schedules. The courses will be transferable at almost every high school in the country, as some of the students attend two or more schools every year when their parents switch jobs.
“I spend most of the year in Arizona, but we’re here until September,” said sophomore Wendy Gomez, who is taking classes with her step-sister Marisol. “It’s hard for migrants. I’m involved in a lot of school activities in Arizona, like the Future Business Leaders of America, but I have to give them up when I come here.”
Despite the fact that daily classes are only two hours long, class sizes are generally smaller and students say they appreciate the more intimate, casual approach to learning.
“The kids are here because they want to be, and I’m proud we really don’t have any discipline problems,” Muro said. “And if we ever do have to call a parent, 85 percent of the time they’re here in 15 minutes. They take this very seriously.”
Muro is particularly proud of the level of parental involvement his program sees, which he attributes largely to the fact that almost all of the summer program teachers are bilingual.
“I want my son to see that nothing is easy,” said Martin Gonzalez, who takes his son Martin Jr. with him to work in the fields during the day. “So that he knows it is better to stay in class and have a good future.”
It’s a philosophy many of the program’s educators share.
“The worst day at school is better than the best day at work,” Muro added.
Not all of the students are in Martin Jr.’s position, however. Many work in town during the day to pay for cars, cell phones, movies or, in the case of one student, Associated Student Body expenses. Others take day summer classes either at SBHS or Gavilan College, or help around the house. Many of the students live in Hollister all year and are fluent in English, while others move around often and are still learning the language.
“We have all kinds of students from all walks of life,” Muro said. “But we’re on the front line of poverty and education.”
Despite their varied circumstances, many felt that night school students are stereotyped by students outside of the program.
“People think we’re here because we’re stupid and can’t go during the day, but most of us are taking classes to get ahead and have more electives,” Servin said.
Some students felt that the fact that virtually all of the program’s students are Latino doesn’t help.
“They drive by and they just see a bunch of Mexicans and say ‘Oh there’s too many,'” added Yvette Rodriguez.
Whatever preconceived notions others have about them, these students know their classes are one step closer to a high school diploma.
“Many of these students will be the first to graduate high school in their families, and we have to do our very best for them,” said Muro, who confided that he had once been in the same position himself. “To be going to school in America, learning English and being part of a high school is a high honor for them and for their families.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
