"If I never came to HECS, I would be in jail or in a gang just trying to survive. Waking up to go to school and not even learn is just pointless. That's what school was like for me. But HECS is like a home, a safe haven, a paradise of learning. To know that there are teachers and people that care about you and your life makes you want to keep moving forward instead of getting knocked back."
JD
"I'm not sure where I would be if I stayed in my old school. I would have different friends, a different life, I may have dropped out. There's a possibility I wouldn't even be alive right now. Going to HECS actually helped change the direction of the life I had. There's a much better vibe in this school. We are allowed to talk about what's on our minds and that's a privilege. In regular school, you can't simply walk up to a teacher and talk, but here you can. And they things they say actually help. I'm comfortable being here. We're all like a big happy family."
DA
"I think everyone deserves a second chance. HECS is a place that offers that for kids. If I wasn't here I probably would have dropped out. But now I have a chance to graduate and I will even be graduating an entire year early."
AZ
"You grow up being told that you won't get anywhere if you don't get a diploma. What happens when the education provided for you is not working? Where are you supposed to go when you give up on public education or it gives up on you? HECS will give you the second chance to finish high school, you just have to want it."
MH
"Being at Harriet Eisman makes me see the finish line to my goals in education. Now my future has a purpose."
JL
"This school has helped me be able to continue on with my life because without HECS I would not have a chance to get my high school diploma.
I left my high school many years ago because it just wasn't working for me. They had me in special ed, telling me I wasn't competent enough. One day a friend of mine went for his GED and passed. When I asked him how it was he told me it was easy. I asked him to share some of the math problems on the test and I couldn't even get one right. I had been out of school for so long that I felt like I lost a lot of knowledge. Another friend told me about HECS, so I gave it a shot. I got accepted and I haven't stopped because without a diploma you are going to struggle through life. HECS has helped me more than anything in the world. Thanks to Juli for allowing me to attend this school. It is very comfortable for me to come here. This was my last shot and it turned out to be my best shot!"
BM
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Why Public School Didn't Work For Me
For me, one of the toughest things about public school was the teachers and racial profiling. I never felt comfortable in certain classes, especially because I was the only African American kid.
Teachers made life hard for me. They moved so fast trying to teach and before I knew it, I was 2 weeks behind. They never had the time to help me with anything I asked them for help with. They just told me to pay attention.
Help from a teacher should mean sitting there explaining the curriculum and actually going through problems step by step. Public school didn't do that for me. It was always, "do this and do that" or "you can't do this". All these crazy rules just made me want to go crazy.
There were many occasions where I just wanted to give up when deep down inside I knew I needed an education. I've never been a quitter but my experience there made me want to give up on everything.
I think I speak for lots of kids in the same situation as me. Black, white, hispanic, asian, we all have the right to get respect in school. It's not fair that teachers talk to us like we're nothing. That just makes us feel like we have no future.
The school I am at right now, the Harriet Eisman Community School is more than just a school to me, it's home.
JL
Teachers made life hard for me. They moved so fast trying to teach and before I knew it, I was 2 weeks behind. They never had the time to help me with anything I asked them for help with. They just told me to pay attention.
Help from a teacher should mean sitting there explaining the curriculum and actually going through problems step by step. Public school didn't do that for me. It was always, "do this and do that" or "you can't do this". All these crazy rules just made me want to go crazy.
There were many occasions where I just wanted to give up when deep down inside I knew I needed an education. I've never been a quitter but my experience there made me want to give up on everything.
I think I speak for lots of kids in the same situation as me. Black, white, hispanic, asian, we all have the right to get respect in school. It's not fair that teachers talk to us like we're nothing. That just makes us feel like we have no future.
The school I am at right now, the Harriet Eisman Community School is more than just a school to me, it's home.
JL
Thursday, March 8, 2012
HECS Review of Doritos Locos Tacos
Today is March 8, 2012, the premiere of Taco Bell's new taco: The Doritos Locos Tacos, and me being a Taco Bell fanatic and a lover of Doritos, this is absolutely perfect for me. Surprisingly, Taco Bell was completely empty, except for like a person or two. I ordered three Locos Tacos and headed to class.
Before taking my first bite, I thought the taste of the shell would overpower the actual taco, but to my surprise, it didn't. It actually tasted good. The tastes blended nicely and I', actually proud to say it doesn't taste like $h*t! I salute you Taco Bell, I salute you!
review by DA
Before taking my first bite, I thought the taste of the shell would overpower the actual taco, but to my surprise, it didn't. It actually tasted good. The tastes blended nicely and I', actually proud to say it doesn't taste like $h*t! I salute you Taco Bell, I salute you!
review by DA
The Hardest thing About Growing Up
The toughest thing about growing up for me was having to walk away from a situation or a problem. As I grew up I tried to stay away from problems but most times it felt like they just seemed to find me.
I was always a church boy but I was doing things I wasn't supposed to do. Each day I would strive to be different than everyone else but I always ended up being just like everyone else...fighting, arguing,cursing and things I knew weren't right. I can honestly say I have finally grown up.
I'm still a church boy, struggling with my past. It's been easy to forgive the people in my past for things they have done to me but it's still hard to let go of the grudge from within my heart!
I have also struggled with finding someone to be there for me, to support me and help me out. My family never really cared what I did, how I felt or what was going on with me and my life. It seems I always had someone reminding me that I wasn't going to make it anywhere, that I would never be successful; that I would end up a failure without a high school diploma. Some even called me a waste of life. Those things were told to me by teachers, friends, and family. It really sucks not having someone there for you.
I thank God I am the man I am today, doing what I have to do, proving all those people wrong. When I get my diploma and I continue to work at a better future, all those people will see the kid they said wouldn't make it and I will be doing better than they ever expected.
I encourage you or anyone who reads this to follow your dreams. Don't let anyone tell you you can't make it. Don't let anyone make you feel worthless or weak. Prove everyone wrong. You truly can do anything you put your mind to. You are worth something to some people but you may be the world to someone. When you feel weak, look up and thank God for allowing you to still be standing and tell him to remind you how strong you really are!
AR
I was always a church boy but I was doing things I wasn't supposed to do. Each day I would strive to be different than everyone else but I always ended up being just like everyone else...fighting, arguing,cursing and things I knew weren't right. I can honestly say I have finally grown up.
I'm still a church boy, struggling with my past. It's been easy to forgive the people in my past for things they have done to me but it's still hard to let go of the grudge from within my heart!
I have also struggled with finding someone to be there for me, to support me and help me out. My family never really cared what I did, how I felt or what was going on with me and my life. It seems I always had someone reminding me that I wasn't going to make it anywhere, that I would never be successful; that I would end up a failure without a high school diploma. Some even called me a waste of life. Those things were told to me by teachers, friends, and family. It really sucks not having someone there for you.
I thank God I am the man I am today, doing what I have to do, proving all those people wrong. When I get my diploma and I continue to work at a better future, all those people will see the kid they said wouldn't make it and I will be doing better than they ever expected.
I encourage you or anyone who reads this to follow your dreams. Don't let anyone tell you you can't make it. Don't let anyone make you feel worthless or weak. Prove everyone wrong. You truly can do anything you put your mind to. You are worth something to some people but you may be the world to someone. When you feel weak, look up and thank God for allowing you to still be standing and tell him to remind you how strong you really are!
AR
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