Sent this out today, but thought I’d post it on my blog as well. Would love for you to sign up for the regular newsletter! Just click the PathLight button to the right.
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In just 15 months the first PathLight sponsorship students will graduate from high school. This will be a milestone in their lives. It will be a time of great celebration for all involved, including parents, teachers, sponsors, and of course the students. The PathLight staff will certainly be excited!
It is easy to overlook just how amazing it is for these kids to complete high school. Most of them grew up in a rural village that has one of the most under-resourced schools in the region. It is estimated that 40 percent of their peers dropped out before their 8th year of school. For those who got through that 8th year, few went on to high school. Not one of the PathLight sponsorship students has a parent who graduated from high school. These kids were born into homes that spoke Spanish or Mayan, yet they were thrown into their first year of school with English fluency as a requirement. They experienced an undercurrent of racism because of their ethnic background, and that undercurrent often undermined their self-worth. Most of them live in homes where the per-capita income is $2 or $3 per day.
Talk about overcoming challenges!
Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself because graduation is still 15 months away. But I’m amazed at the perseverance, hard work, and eagerness that these kids are showing us. The PathLight staff is proud of them. I’m sure you are too.
As exciting as this is, PathLight’s work is not complete at graduation and staff is already considering how to help these students transition into colleges, vocational schools, or jobs. A high school degree is an amazing accomplishment, but the long term PathLight mission is to see the student transformed so they in turn transform their community. That’s why the sponsorship program offers a holistic program that provides spiritual, social and emotional transformation alongside of academic excellence. PathLight aims for these graduates to truly be prepared for a life of faith, learning and service.