Today Robert and I traveled back to Roosevelt High School to meet with a class of about 30 kids, five teachers, Ada Gonzalez from Swedish Covenant (who purchased 150 books for donation) and Dr. Alvarez the principal of the school.

Robert spoke for about 15 minutes.  His passion is increasing as is his comfortability with these students.  The teachers each chimed in and some asked questions of Robert who responded with more fire and advice.  One student, a senior who had just graduated but wanted to come back for this special “class” talked about how powerful this book was because it was “real”.  He talked about other books he has read over the years being “all rainbows” and he appreciated that this spoke to him and to their lives.  He wished he had read the book freshman year.

Then a teacher got up and talked about his experience working with the curriculum and a group of seniors.  He said that the discussion questions opened up a side of his students that he had not seen in the four years he had spent with them.  He talked about how real it was and how they connected to that.

When we were nearing the end of our time together, Principal Alvarez told us a story of two students who were each half a credit point away from graduating.  Both came to her begging to walk down the aisle and speaking of how much it would mena to their families.  Dr. Alvarez struggled with this, wanting them to learn from their choices. Then she had an idea.  She gave them each a copy of From the Barrio to the Board Room and told them that if they read the book that night, wrote a five report on it and turned that in the next morning she would allow them to walk (they would still need to come back for summer school to receive their diplomas). Both students read the book and wrote their papers, both of which she described as thought provoking.  What she appreciated even more was their request to keep the books.

After the discussion Robert signed books and talked to the students one on one.

Thank you Roosevelt for believeing in Barrio.  Thank you Swedish Covenant Hospital for sponsoring the books.  We look forward to working with you both for years to come.