College Readiness is a Family Affair

Parent

When my oldest son came to this school he was struggling academically and was very timid, but the teachers helped him grow several grade levels and boosted his self esteem and confidence.”

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Tiana Diggs: Leading with Love and High Expectations

Principal

Few people are surprised that Tiana Diggs is now a principal at the school where her teaching career began. Though if you asked Diggs if she ever imagined that she’d be a principal the answer might surprise you. “Absolutely not, I don’t know if that sounds crazy but I didn’t,” laughed Tiana Diggs, Principal at Ánimo James B. Taylor Charter Middle School (AJBT).

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Sandra Estrada: My Road to College

In her junior year at the University of California, Los Angeles we spoke with Ánimo Leadership Charter High School alumna Sandra Estrada about her road to college and where this journey might lead her once she graduates.

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Peace Ikediuba: Don’t Knock Yourself out of the Game

“At a certain point in my life I stopped thinking about college because I knew I couldn’t afford it and it didn’t seem logical to even put myself through the process,” reflected Peace Ikediuba, an Ánimo South Los Angeles Charter High School alumna.

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Why This Alumna Became a Counselor at Her Alma Mater

college counseling

“When I became a counselor many of my friends and even family members would ask me, ‘Do you have a couch where you ask students how they’re doing while you scribble notes in a notepad?’” chuckled Stacie Cruz, a counselor at Ánimo Leadership Charter High School.

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Why This Founding Green Dot Student Came Back to South LA

Daisy Estevez, a social studies teacher at Ánimo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School, became a teacher in hopes of changing the lives and trajectories of students. Estevez was inspired by her teachers at Ánimo Ralph Bunche Charter High School (ARB) who helped change her life when she was a founding student in 2006.

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How Marching Band Changed This Alumnus’s Life

Band

“The Locke band has given me a purpose,” reflected Danny Velasquez, Alain LeRoy Locke College Preparatory Academy alumnus. “It’s made me more appreciative of music, taught me a sense of responsibility, and has really shown me the importance of collaborating with others.”

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Ánimo Compton Reignites Students’ Love for Learning

Compton

“When Brianna Chavez began attending Ánimo Compton Charter School in her seventh grade year she was shocked at how different it was from her previous school. “I was in world history class and I was stuck on an assignment and my teacher just came up to me and said ‘Do you need help?’

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