How incredible it's been to watch her grow over the past few years and what a privilege it is to share her graduation day with her. She has earned every single bit of this diploma, and made excellent grades along the way - especially this last year. This milestone is a life-changer, a huge stepping stone into her future, and I couldn't be more excited for her!
I'd like to share with you a little bit about Jennifer - not so that you will pity her but so you can really appreciate what this achievement means for her and how hard she worked to get it. Jennifer grew up in Los Pinos, a dangerous, drug and gang filled neighborhood here in Tegucigalpa. Most people drop out of school very early; the highest level of education people generally have is the 6th grade. Her mom can barely read, and certainly not enough to help effectively with homework. I won't go into details about her family because that's her story to share, not mine, but believe me when I say it's not great, she's never had much of a father figure and family loyalties run thin. Her mom used to work in the dump, collecting bottles and things to sell, but she is now to sick with a severe condition and can no longer work to provide for her family.
On paper, Jennifer should be another drop out who falls into a "normal" life in her community. But she didn't. Even though she never had homework help, she did her homework. Friend after friend dropped out of school, but she didn't. She traveled hours on buses everyday to make it to school with an excellent attendance record. This year, one of her very best friends decided to drop out of school one year before graduation, and she just gave birth to a baby girl. But Jennifer didn't. She tried out the party life and the boyfriends, but then decided to leave that behind and do something different. One of the most incredible examples of her determination is that a few months ago, we got a call from her school explaining that Jennifer was passing out in school. She was passing out because she spent the last bit of money she had to pay the bus to get to school, instead of buying food. Please believe me when I say this girl is dedicated. She accomplished a feat not many in this country, much less in her particular neighborhood, achieve. She's a beauty inside and out!
She now becomes the one who breaks the cycle of poverty in her family. She helps her younger brother in school and he has great things to aspire to as he watches her. Her community watches her and sees that they too can accomplish something more.
I am so incredibly proud of Jennifer, and I'm so excited to be continuing with her as she continues one step further: University! We are investigating colleges here, practicing for her admissions exam, and looking for part-time work for her so she can support her family while she continues her studies. Please keep praying for her, as she applies in January and takes the admissions exam shortly after. WHEN (not if) she gets accepted, I'll be looking for sponsors for her. Luckily, the public university here is super affordable, about the same price as a high school (~$150 monthly). Keep her in mind and stay tuned if you feel called to support her.
In the meantime, let's celebrate this HUGE milestone for Jennifer and all the handwork she put in to get to where she is!
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