My Experience with KIPP in Boyle Heights
By Stephanie Medina, KIPP LA Prep alumna
My name is Stephanie Medina and I am an alumna of KIPP LA Prep, a National Blue Ribbon award-winning middle school in Boyle Heights. I currently attend Mendez High School and hope to enroll at UC Santa Barbara or Loyola Marymount University next year.
Having been a proud Boyle Heights resident my entire life, I feel extremely passionate about my community gaining access to the high-performing schools that KIPP offers. KIPP Promesa Prep elementary school is seeking to unite their two, temporary campuses on one, permanent campus in Boyle Heights and I am in full support of this effort. I truly believe that KIPP is one of the reasons I have been successful in my academics, character development, and youth leadership initiatives, including representing the youth reporters of the Boyle Heights Beat.
KIPP’s positive learning environment, extracurriculars, and high expectations prepared me for success in high school and beyond. I learned how to advocate for myself and hold myself accountable. I felt connected to my peers and teachers because we were from the same community. And I left KIPP knowing that I would go to college because our teachers made it a priority to share their stories with us and continuously tell us we would also make it to and through college. I am ready for higher education because of the many resources I continue to receive from KIPP and my KIPP Through College counselor, and I truly believe that my options are limitless.
Through KIPP, I have been able to take advantage of many educational opportunities, most recently attending a three-week summer program at Georgetown University. Boyle Heights students not only deserve, but need these rich, rigorous educational experiences.
I urge the Los Angeles City Council to approve KIPP Promesa’s proposal for a state-of-the-art, permanent, and united campus. Starting with a strong KIPP foundation in elementary school will only increase the number of Boyle Heights success stories like me.
