Class of 2012 Student Sponsor Partners graduate Krystal Diaz was featured in HuffPost Voces this week. Below is an English translation of the original article.
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David Ramirez: Krystal Díaz cumple sueño de ir a la universidad con programa de becas
(Translation: Grace Ureña)
Krystal Díaz’s dream to go to a university
is made a reality with scholarship program.
Four years ago, Krystal Diaz’s life changed completely. Today, at 17, this daughter of immigrant parents graduated from high school and will begin college in the fall. She is the first in her family to go to college.
“Time has passed quickly. Right now I am unsure of what specific subject to study because there are so many possibilities. In any case, I am interested in studying the arts or humanities. I also enjoy communications,” said an overjoyed Díaz to the HuffPost Voces.
Thanks to Student Sponsor Partners (SSP)—an organization located in New York that helps under-served New York City students, particularly immigrants, by providing financial help (from private donors) and mentoring—Díaz is one of the 5,000 students that have graduated from high school and will attend college since SSP’s founding in 1986.
“My parents and I are extremely grateful. Without the support of SSP, I may not have been able to accomplish this goal. Now I am going to college and it seems like a dream come true,” continues Diaz, who graduated this week.
“SSP students are at risk in several ways. They usually come from single parent households, they are average or below average students, and the family income is about $10,000 per capita per year,” explained Dr. Margaret Minson, Executive Director of SSP.
Minson said that the way the organization selects students and their families for the program is “(by) finding or identifying the students that if it were not for SSP, they could fall victim to high dropout rates.”
The Díaz family emigrated from the Dominican Republic and settled in the Bronx. Krystal only spoke Spanish growing up, and when she entered Morris Parks’ Public School 83 she had difficulty adapting to a new culture and a new language. Her grades dropped and she felt isolated.
According to Díaz, the teachers didn’t seem to care whether she passed as long as her classmates and she advanced to the next grade at the end of the year. It was then that her mother heard about Student Sponsor Partners from a friend.
Díaz applied and was admitted into the program at St. Raymond Academy for Girls, an all-girls Catholic school in the Bronx. She accepted quickly, knowing that with an unemployed mother and a father who worked hard to earn a living in a gas station, affording a private school would have been unthinkable for her family.
“SSP covered the cost of Krystal’s education St. Raymond Academy and they paired her with her mentor, Maggie Howell. I would even call Maggie her “godmother” because she has been the one who has guided her in her academics, helped her grow as a person, and, best of all, who helped with the process of matriculating at a university,” expressed Beatriz Santiago, the student’s mother.
There was a total change in Krystal Díaz after being admitted to SSP. From her failing grades she came to have an A and B average, and in September she will take the next step at Manhattan College, where she will attend with a scholarship and additional funding from St. Raymond Academy as a reward for having perfect high school attendance.
“My daughter would be sick and would still never want to miss classes. She is very dedicated and responsible; if she continues likes that, she will accomplish all of the goals that she sets forth,” affirms Santiago, who recognized the important role Krystal’s mentor, Maggie, had on her success.
Santiago said that her success is a dream come true for their family: “Her triumph is a triumph for our whole family. I am the proudest mother in the world.”
“I imagine a bright future for Krystal. Many challenges lay ahead, but the positive attitude that she has in the face of adversity will serve her well. Krystal has the dedication and work ethic necessary to be a successful student in college,” expressed Howell.
Díaz’s story is reflected in thousands of students who come from some of the most disadvantaged families in New York, and whose lives have been transformed by SSP. Since its founding, SSP has helped financially, socially and academically at-risk students attend parochial schools in New York, and with SSP’s support most students have gone on to attend college.
The mentor aspect of Student Sponsor Partners involves pairing each student with an adult mentor, many of whom are employed in the financial industry. For example, Maggie Howell, Díaz’s mentor, works for the firm Morgan Stanley.
“I have a lot of energy, I am always active. I would like to travel—French fascinates me, I want to learn it,” responds Díaz about her short and long term goals.
“Another thing that I have to do is go to a poor country and do community service work. I want to help people. I feel that I need to give back because I got help from SSP when I needed it most,” says Díaz.
Currently, about 1,400 New York City students are enrolled in Student Sponsor Partners. In the most recent graduating class, 333 graduated from high school (an 84 percent graduation rate). They had a college acceptance rate of 97 percent and won over 27 million dollars in scholarships and financial support. They also had more than 53 National Honor Society Award winners.
