Stories

Jose Avila Tamayo

Jose first came to Doxa when he was 6 years old and entering 1st grade. His mom came looking for help for him and his 2 older siblings. Jose is now 9 years old and in 4th grade. With the support of Doxa’s education program, Jose has developed his reading comprehension and mathematics skills. He is now a collaborative participant in the classroom with the desire to learn something different every day. In his specific case, Doxa education provides uniforms, school supplies, and homework help after school. Jose and his family have made effective use of these resources and tools to stimulate his scholastic growth. One day Jose hopes to be a great soccer player!

Angela Cortez Plaza

Angela is the oldest sibling of three and she initially came to Doxa when she was a 10-year-old 5th grader. Despite her great intelligence (always getting good grades), she was a very timid girl with little self-confidence. Angela has now been coming to Doxa for the past 5 years and has many friends who she met through Doxa’s after-school program. She has taken full advantage of assistance with purchasing school uniforms and supplies, but most importantly has regularly seen a Doxa counselor to work on her self-confidence. Angela’s hard work and making the most of all these available resources have resulted in her becoming the stand-out student in her class, both with her grades and her interpersonal interactions. She is also active in Doxa’s dance group and a red belt in her tae kwon do classes. Angela is now at the point of finishing middle school and will enter high school next year. She eventually wants to be a skilled architect. Angela’s parents are overjoyed with her growth and time at Doxa. Her mom is always one of the first parents to volunteer if Doxa is ever in need of anything, just as Doxa has come alongside her children.

Juana Lizeth Navarro

Juana originally came into Doxa’s education program when she was 9 years old. She was actually in one of the first groups of kids to get an education scholarship. Juana’s mother realized that the education she was receiving in school was not very good and so this provided the initial motivation for her to seek out Doxa as a supplement for Juana. Through Rosa’s disciplined homework help and financial assistance to pay school tuition, uniforms, supplies, and transportation, Juana has little by little turned herself into a good student. She has also become a fundamental piece of Doxa’s summer camps, field trips, and workshops by volunteering with the younger kids. Juana is now 17 years old and next year will enter college. She would love to become a pre-school teacher, giving back to young kids in a meaningful way.

Rodolfo Salas Garcia

Rodolfo is 12 years old and spent a few years in DIF (Mexico’s child protective services system) before landing at Unidos por Siempre Orphanage about 2 years ago. Naturally, Rodolfo had some issues integrating into life at Unidos por Siempre, but now he feels so happy to be part of this family. Not only did he find love, respect, and happiness within his new family, but also has access to a regular school system. For the first time, he has the resources necessary to succeed in school, the stability to focus on his studies instead of where he will be placed next by DIF, and consistent adults who are invested in his life. This has led to Rodolfo’s improvement in interpersonal interactions, school grades, and appreciation for what he does have. Rodolfo enjoys playing with Legos, soccer, and running around with his dog Chicho (who has 6 toes on his back paws!)

Please note: the names in these stories have been changed to preserve the students’ privacy. Thank you for understanding.