The Answer - A blog about Education, Preparation, and Commitment.

YES Prep Southwest matures into a student-led campus and a strong presence from senior leaders

September 09, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

Last Friday’s all-school meeting at YES Prep Southwest was a great example of how far the Mavericks have come in being a student-led school. When people step onto campus and remark on the strong culture and instruction it is not because we have to remind students that visitors are coming or that they need to step up their game to set a good impression. It is because our students get it and they get why they are here. The six junior and senior boys that stood up to address the student body are excellent examples of that, each in his own way. However, getting to that point does not happen the moment new students step into the Maverick Nation. It takes time, sacrifice, and consistent hammering home of the message each and every day so that in the end we have excellent examples like Joseph, Jairus, Jaime, Junior, Luis and Josue who can stand up in front of the Maverick masses and deliver powerful and poignant messages like they did. It was not always like this for this for these young men and for almost all of them at one time or another, their future at YES Prep was in flux:

 Jairus – left in 9th grade to attend Dulles High School but got disenchanted rather quickly with the watered down expectations and lack of rigor in his classes there. Since coming back has stepped as a role model inside and outside of the classroom.

 Joseph – when he first came in as a 9th grader over three years ago there was widespread doubt whether the him and his brother would make it to graduation. Attitude, anger and lots of detentions made Joseph’s reputation less than reputable. Since then he has come to see what it means to take responsibility for his own behavior and what it means to take the reins of his future and the future of others as a step-up role model.

 Josue – lackadaisical effort and skating by where much stronger parts of Josue’s game and although he still may not be shooting the lights out when it comes to his potential his impassioned speech about how this is not just about us but about the pride of our families shows how deep down he gets it.

 Luis – failed his first year at YES Prep miserably as a 9th grader. It was not due to intelligence or ability but a lack of effort and dedication. Almost expelled on final contracts he dug down his second time around in 9th grade and since then has awakened to what it means to do whatever it takes on a daily basis.

 Jaime – has always been an intelligent lug and respectful one at that but has just now started growing up and stepping up as a more mature and respectable leader for his peers.

 Junior – when Junior first joined YES Prep as a 7th grader back in 05-06 he accrued no less than 90 Wall Streets in his first semester here. The second semester that dropped to less than five. Junior had a pretty dramatic turnaround and since then although there have been some bumps and mistakes, overall he lives this place and as his speech showed no one should doubt that passion!

For each of these young men there were countless interventions, conversations, tutorials, parent meetings, consequences, incentives, motivations, etc., that came at the hands of their teachers, families and peers. Now the only difference is that they are on the other end of these speeches and interventions and that is a great testament to what this place is about and will always be about – being a family that never loses hope or gives up on students. Take a look around this year at the other 690 students on campus and ask yourself do they get it like these young men and if not start planting those seeds so that they can start now appreciating what being a part of the Maverick Nation is all about!

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