Kevin’s Story

Before:      Repeated 6th grade - twice.

NOW:         Outstanding Student of the Year

He Says:    “Stick with it. Bear with the teacher and actually try.
        Put a little effort in now and it comes back to you
        ten-fold.”

“This is the best four years of school that I ever went through,” says Kevin*, a senior in the Erie 1 BOCES alternative education program.

He felt overwhelmed at his regular high school, where classes held up to 30 students.  He felt help was not there for struggling students.  “Here, the teachers are always helping you and the classes are small. You can actually be heard. These teachers just help you. They care about what a student is actually going to do.  Other schools just say, ‘Oh, whatever.’”

He says a regular school setting just wasn’t for him.  “I was in 6th grade and it was my second time in that grade because I had failed in it before.” A guidance counselor told him about alternative education. Now a senior, he’s taking English 11 and 12, economics, and physical education. He goes to school for a week, then works alternate weeks in food service at a local elementary school. He also works the afternoon shift at an area restaurant.

His long-term career interest is information technology, however.  “I really want to make video games,” he says, “And information technology looks like it’s going to be the key.”

His advice to other students:  “Stick with it.  Bear with the teacher and actually try.  Put a little effort in now and it comes back to you ten-fold.”  Kevin made the most of all that was given him.  The kid who couldn’t make it out of 6th grade was named his school’s Student of the Year.

  * Not his real name.