Outstanding Student Counselor Takes on Rainy Sixth Grade Camp in the Redwoods

I didn't ask his last name. I hadn't thought about telling his story, or at least a small, rain-soaked portion of it. But the more I've remarked upon this outstanding encounter with a sixth grade camp counselor, the more I'd like to share.

For so much of what we're hearing in the media and amongst our youth is of the challenges of peer pressure, bullying, troubling teen behavior. The good stuff rarely is reported. And there is a lot of good, in fact, great stuff happening all around us in the youth of Sonoma County and beyond.

Not every high school student has the backing of strong, settled family to see them through the tough teen years. Making it through the trials, tribulations and sheer hard, consistent work of high school to graduation is a substantial challenge for so many.

In celebrating the graduations of several successful student offspring of close friends and my sons' long standing friends this June it is all the more profound when one comes across a completely self-motivated, determined student who has pulled him or herself up by the proverbial bootstraps, embraced all that is available within the public educational system and simply shines.

I had the good fortune of meeting one such student last week, whilst ferrying sixth grade students from Valley Vista Elementary School to and from a wet and wild few days in the rambling, majestic Redwoods at West Sonoma County's rustic Mount Gilead.

Jorge is a Junior at Sonoma Mountain High School  a small, continuation high school on the campus of Casa Grande High School in East Petaluma. 

An American Citizen whose parents returned to Mexico with his two younger sisters, Jorge and his 18-year-old brother live with relatives in town, juggling school and restaurant work in nearby Marin County. 

Saving to rent their own apartment, Jorge is looking forward to completing his High School education ahead of schedule. Having counseled at camp with Mary Collins at Cherry Valley Charter School students already this Spring, he stepped up on special request at the last minute to fill in for a student counselor who dropped out of the Valley Vista sixth grade camp.

Now this was no walk in the park. Trust me. Torrential rain. Thunder. Raccoons climbing into the redwood cabins. Rambunctious 11 and 12-year-olds. But most significantly, the week before end-of-year finals.

For the second time this semester, Jorge obtained permission from school and his boss to accompany sixth grade students from his hometown on their outdoor education expedition. 

"I try to take on every opportunity for community service," said Jorge in the car ride out along the green, winding lanes out west.

By now you know that my innate reporting skills creep into most every scenario in which someone or something out of the ordinary is by matter of circumstance - my captive audience. Jorge pleasantly answered my questions as to how he manages to motivate himself, how he keeps to a schedule, how he balances work with school and what hopes he has for his future.

Although he realizes the great training he has had in the restaurant business, Jorge has aspirations towards a career in either the Coast Guard or law enforcement.

"It's not been easy," he said, when I congratulated him on his remarkable story, yet he agreed that the satisfaction he feels on paying his bills and getting ahead of himself in school and saving for an apartment is an achievement way beyond his years.

Jorge spoke of his school counselor and staff at Sonoma Mountain and the one-on-one attention he knows has made the biggest impact in his life.

When I collected a weary, but chatty bunch of boys for the (finally sunny) ride home on Friday morning, Jorge was still smiling, still positive and full of praise for the cabin of kids he had counseled.

Wishing him well for his finals and for the coming school year as a Senior, I took a notion to email his principal and let him know what an outstanding representative of the school's program Jorge had been.

"He really is one of our shining stars," replied Rusty Sims, Principal, Carpe Diem HS - and Sonoma Mtn. HS, "but one thing he has in common with many of his classmates is the ability to periodically surprise us with how well they do on a given task or project, or how well they turn out by the end of their sojourn with us. He has benefited immensely by the strong support provided by the teachers and staff at Sonoma Mountain; they have been quick to see his potential and worked hard to help him reach to maximize it."

"Though small," wrote Sims, "our school has an outsized effect on the futures of the students we serve."

This post is dedicated to all of the unsung student success stories such as Jorge.

 

Comments

[Meloni]

BRAVO!!!!!!!!! And yeah Jorge. The Coast Guard could use more young men like you!

[Jani]

Great story about a fine young man. Keep working toward your dreams Jorge, and one day they will come true!

[Rachel]

What a great example for all of our boys (& girls, even if we personaly don't have any of those ;-)
I'll make sure both mine read this! (Do you know what elem school he went to?)
Keep up the great work, Jorge! You're inspiring...