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YES Prep North Central Seniors say goodbye and thank you at First Annual Senior Dinner

May 28, 2010 by Nella Garcia

On the evening of May 27th, 2010, the parents of the YES Prep North Central Class of 2010 hosted a dinner for teachers (past and present), students, families and administrators to honor the past seven years of hard work on the road to college. The night started off with a great dinner of local flavor and then progressed into an outpouring of thanks, gratitude and love for a family of Trailblazers. 

First, teachers had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and declarations of pride toward the seniors. Michelle LaFlure, Dean of Instruction at YES Prep NC, lead the way with a special place in hear heart for the students she taught in fifth grade whom she convinced to attend YES Prep NC. Other teachers from their past, like Melissa Boddie and Craig Brandenburg, had the chance to say a few words about watching the seniors grow from young 5^th graders, to young men and women bound for college. Roberto Martinez, the upper level mathematics teacher, providing an endearing message in Spanish to parents and students alike about his experience teaching the students for two years. 

When it was my chance to say something to this group of seniors, I struggled to find words to express how proud I was of them. I could see the days of their junior high years coming in and out of my class, the days where some of them wanted to give up, be like their friends, not work so hard, not have teachers that cared so much. I told them that I appreciated the two years I spent as their teacher, because if it weren’t for them, I would never have known just how much one teacher can accomplish. Truth be told, that group of students fuels what I teach to new teachers ever year – that success is POSSIBLE. I have witnessed it, been a part of it, and watched my students harvest it into college acceptance, scholarships and possibility. I ended with a messaged to the families that to this day remember my name, welcome me, embrace me as part of the Trailblazer family and should walk a little taller each day knowing their students finished their journey at YES Prep. Mr. DiBella and Mr. Barbic were able to also provide words of wisdom to the students and a final charge of not only matriculating into college, but FINISHING.

Next, parents, in both English and Spanish, were able to say thank you to all of the teachers that have contributed to the students’ success. Many got teary eyed, but their words were from the souls of parents with utter and sincere gratitude for where their students are going.

In the most pivotal point of the evening, the seniors, one by one, lined up along the cafeteria. Each one had a slip of paper with a teacher’s name on it. They read a special thank you to each teacher. Later, the thanks grew so large the slips of paper could not contain all they wanted to say. Shout outs and appreciation messages came pouring from the group and they continued to give their thoughts on who had inspired them, driven them to their interviews, given them the extra push, talked to them like adults, and had just simply “been there.” One of my former students even mentioned how because of her teachers, she wants to come back and teach at YES Prep! I sat there, amazed at how much they had grown, not only in their eloquence and vocabularies, but as PEOPLE. It was a beautiful series of moments and I know that every teacher there, past and present, reconnected to their purpose for why we dedicate our lives to kids like the YES Prep North Central Trailblazers.

Closing out with hugs, and pictures, and an excitement for graduation – I walked away filled with purpose, happiness and appreciation for the opportunity to be a small part of such a big accomplishment. 

Nella Garcia is the Director of Teacher Development at YES Prep.  She manages the Teaching Excellence Program and works with School and System leaders to ensure that our teachers at all levels of their career have the support and training necessary to become masters in their craft.

Read more posts by Nella:

Why I work at YES Prep

First Year Teachers have an Immediate Impact at YES Prep

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