Skyline sophomores ‘dreaming’ of big things to come

The “dreamers” class at Skyline High School was working on writing resumes.

Yenifer Garfio talks with AmeriCorps volunteer, Sara Martin, while writing thank you notes during her I Have a Dream study period at Skyline High School. Lindsay J.C. Lack photo

“What do you want to include in a resume?” asked Kristen Moegling, a project coordinator with the I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County.

“Your education and work experience,” answered Yenifer Garfio of Longmont.

“What if this is your first job and you don’t have any work experience?” asked Manuel Sepulveda.

“List some skills you have,” answered Rosa Solis.

“You can all list social networking skills,” Moegling said, as she pointed to one member of the class who was busy texting on her phone. “You all certainly have them!”

It was a typical class period for students in the Columbine class of the I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County. Some were working on writing or typing their resumes, while others were reading or doing homework.

The I Have a Dream Foundation program adopts a class of second-graders from low-income families and works with them to graduate from high school and attend college or vocational school. Through the program, students receive year-round tutoring, mentoring, after-school enrichment classes and computer use and technology training. They also discuss life and social skills, emphasizing college and career preparation. Once the dreamers class graduates from high school, the students receive a four-year tuition scholarship for college or vocational school.

“Our goal is to have all these kids graduate from high school and go on to higher education,” Moegling said. “They will be the first in their families to attend college, and some will be the first to graduate from high school.”

Most of the 50 students in the Columbine dreamers class, now sophomores, entered the program in 2002 when they were in second grade at Columbine Elementary in Longmont. Many now attend Skyline High School; a few attend other high schools in the district and two have moved to Wyoming with their families. Five of the students were added in sixth grade to replace students who had moved and dropped out of the program. The Columbine class is sponsored by Catherine and Jim Ray of Longmont.

Moegling is assisted by two AmeriCorps volunteers, Valeria Morales and Sara Martin. “This is a wonderful program,” Morales said. “Not only is it good for the students, but it is rewarding for us too!”

The two have a little friendly rivalry going between each other as they try to influence class members to attend their alma maters – the University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University. Moegling has made sure the dreamers class will tour both universities, and she also is making plans to visit universities in New Mexico.

Moegling and her team provide incentives for academic performance such as a recent weekend ski and snowboard trip, arrange field trips to colleges and vocational schools and set up trips to museums, sporting and cultural events. They also push students to become involved in school activities, clubs and sports, and arrange opportunities for them to volunteer in the community.

“We also teach our students how to talk with their teachers and become advocates for themselves,” Moegling said. “Sometimes these students face chaotic home situations which affect their school performance. They need to be able to talk with their teachers. That is a really important skill for them to learn.”

Mentoring is an important component of the program, and more community mentors are always needed, Moegling said.

“Mentors can help more than just the students,” she said. “Many times the parents are not familiar with our school systems or how to interact with teachers. We find that parents really want their children to receive a good education, but they don’t know about resources available to their students. They aren’t familiar with guiding a student toward college or the process for applying to college. Mentors can help with all of that.”

Students in the Columbine class have been pondering life after high school. Solis said she is looking forward to visiting colleges in New Mexico because that is where she wants to attend college. “I want to either study law or nursing,” Solis said. “I’m in an honors science class, so I thought about nursing.”

Solis, who is the youngest of 18 children, would be the first in her family to attend college. She works in fast food for 16 to 20 hours a week, and credits the dreamers program with keeping her focused on attending college.

“Every time I struggle, they help,” she said.

Sepulveda, the oldest in his family, wants to become a coroner “probably because I watch too much CSI,” he said. He expects to take the med prep class at the Career Development Center next year, and plans to attend CSU after he graduates.

The dreamers class is “a comfortable environment, but they always push you to do better in school,” he said.

Garfio wants to study business in college. Through the dreamers program, she landed a spot as an intern last summer at the UCB Leeds School of Business.

“The dreamers class really helps me understand what I have to do to get into college,” she said. “And I know I can do it.”

Email: kcglasscock@comcast.net