KIPP students look toward future, reflect on past

LYNN – It was just five years ago that KIPP Academy Lynn eighth grader Leandro Diaz came to the United States from his native Dominican Republic with little knowledge of English and without the ability to read or write in any language.Just a week before the school’s second moving on ceremony, Diaz now speaks the language fluently, and like so many other KIPP students past and present, is headed to one of the area’s top high schools.Diaz, 16, and his classmates are among the second-ever graduating eighth grade class at the city’s only charter school and are among a group of success stories who initially struggled in KIPP’s non-traditional format.”When I came to KIPP I was really surprised. I had never seen a school where everyone is supporting each other like this,” he said.Diaz was forced to stay back twice in the fifth grade, but once he was able to get a hold of the language, he moved up through the program and is now looking forward to studying at Malden Catholic High School next year.A lifelong North Shore resident, 14-year-old Christopher Batista did not have the same struggles with the language as his classmate Diaz, but was looking for a new academic challenge after the fourth grade.Facing adversity after his father was deported to the Dominican Republic and his mother moved to North Carolina, Batista moved around the area several times, but no matter where he went to school he says he always found it boring.”I didn’t really take school that seriously, but I always did well,”he said, admitting that he got into some trouble. “I was immature. Once I got to KIPP I took it really seriously.”Batista said a trip to Washington state and support from his teachers has helped him both challenge himself and remain focused in school and he looks forward to attending St. John’s Prep next year.”I think the most important thing about KIPP is that the teachers really care about you,” he said. “If you need help with anything you can call the teachers. It seems like in public school the teachers just want to teach until the end of the day and collect their paycheck.”KIPP’s school day is a long one – 10 hours – but students say the teachers and staff make the day fun even as they are preaching discipline with every lesson.For 14-year-old Anna Borbon, the long day was tough to get used to, as were the student behavior codes. When she realized those codes meant separation from her classmates, her behavior changed and by the seventh grade she had decided what kind of person she wanted to be, followed the rules and improved her grades.”In fifth grade it was really hard, I struggled a lot with reading and history,” she said. “But I started working with the teachers to get better grades and I started stepping it up each year.”Accepted to several private schools, Borbon decided to attend St. Mary’s next year, where she hopes to play sports and start a dance team at the school.She says her long term goal is to become a lawyer and wants to work in a big Boston skyscraper.”I think a good view would shine my day,” she said.Joining Borbon at St. Mary’s will be 15-year-old Deyanira DeJesus, a future doctor who says she wanted to come to KIPP because she didn’t feel safe in public schools.”I went to Cobbet and I didn’t like it. I didn’t feel safe there,” she said. “I heard about KIPP through Girls Inc., but I didn’t think I wanted to go at first because the days were so long and my mom didn’t want me to go at first either.”But we talked to (principal) Josh Zoia and he convinced us that I should go.”Like Borbon, DeJesus said fifth grade was exceptionally hard, especially because she struggled with reading, but realizing that she may stay back, she persevered and was able to improve her academics, becoming one of the top students in her class.Now she is looking forward to attending St. Mary’s and eventually becoming a doctor.”I want to be a doctor, I am not sure what kind, but I want to be like Dr. House,” she said, referring to the lead character on the