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

YES Prep Alumna Featured in Podcast on College Persistence

April 16, 2012 by Tenesha Villanueva

Throughout this current school year, YES Prep Public Schools will be hosting Emily Hanford, an education reporter from American RadioWorks.   American RadioWorks produces radio and web documentaries, feature stories for public radio programs (most often Marketplace on NPR) and newspaper and magazine articles for various publications.  Emily is currently working on a year-long project about college readiness and persistence and in particular, digging into the question of what college readiness means and what it takes to prepare students, especially students from low-income families whose parents are not college graduates.  Given this is her focus and our intimate work in this area, she requested to focus her story heavily on YES Prep and dive deep into these

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Alumni Perspectives: The Transfer Transition by Mikhail Abad

March 06, 2012 by Tenesha Villanueva

Choosing the right college during my senior year was a challenge!  On Senior Signing Day in April 2009, I proudly announced “next fall I will attend…University of Tulsa!”, however, in August 2009 I stepped foot on Creighton University’s campus in Omaha, Nebraska. As an 18 year old high school senior, I was young and indecisive, or perhaps you can say I just love change. At the time, Creighton University was the right decision for me; I experienced many new things, enjoyed the small learning environment, and developed great friendships.   However, change won out again, and I made the decision to switch my major and follow my dreams of becoming architect; a path Creighton could not offer. 

Now, my decision to change majors was not made on a whim; I have always been torn between graphic

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Alumni Spotlight:  Lucia (Serna) Vasquez, YES Prep Class of 2001

December 01, 2011 by Tenesha Villanueva

Lucia (Serna) Vasquez graduated from YES Prep in 2001 (our first-ever graduating class!).  She has been a proud member of the United States Air Force for 7 years where she works in Public Health/Deployment Medicine and is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. 

Lucia on her experience at YES Prep…

What is your favorite YES Prep memory?

I have two:

Sophomore Spring Trip - The bus ride to New York City.  We convinced the teachers to play a mixed CD one of the guys brought along.  They kept flipping through the songs for an “appropriate” one and finally left it on “Wanna Be a Baller”.  The whole bus was singing along – including our bus driver!

Sophomore Christmas Program – Mr. Barbic got El Mercado Del Sol to let us use their empty atrium to have our Christmas

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Alumni Spotlight: Mark Medina Jr., YES Prep Southeast Class of 2006

December 01, 2011 by Tenesha Villanueva

Mark Anthony Medina, Jr. graduated from YES Prep Southeast in 2006.  Mark has been a proud member of the United States Marine Corps for 2 years where he currently serves as a Data Networking Specialist and is stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. 

Mark on his experience at YES Prep…

What is your favorite YES Prep memory?

My favorite memories at YES Prep were always in the dance room. My participation in the dance program greatly enhanced my experience at YES Prep.  The one that stands out the most is when I broke the mirror during a late night rehearsal.

Name the teacher/staff member who had the greatest impact on you and why.

The staff member that had the biggest impact on my life was Ms. Lisa Castillo, our dance instructor. She saw my potential as a dancer and invested

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Two YES Prep Juniors Learn to Create Positive Change in Our World

September 14, 2011 by Tenesha Villanueva

For juniors, Adrian Gonzales of YES Prep Southeast and Amanda Hernandez of YES Prep Southwest, this semester is not “business as usual”. There are no early morning treks to the bus stop or extended school days; Adrian and Amanda are immersing themselves in a rigorous curriclum filled with ethical thinking, leadership development, and international affairs.   

Both outstanding students were selected, among hundreds across the country, to participate in a semester-long residential program for high school juniors at The School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL) in Washington, DC.  With the help of campus-based Student Opportunities Coordinators, Lynda Daniel (YES Prep Southeast) & Eric Estelle (YES Prep Southwest), Adrian and Amanda are taking advantage of a rare opportunity to sit

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