My success is a matter of luck. I got lucky. I grew up with the idea that my education would be the only way out of a traditional life for a latina. So I kept my academic record spotless, kaleidoscope, honors classes, and even extracurriculars outside of school. I went to the “ghetto” middle school, the one where parents pray to win the “lottery” to get their kids out of going to, Isaac E. Young Middle School. We didn't have most of our students in honors classes. We had kids with “in house” suspensions, suspensions and expulsions. Isaac did not prepare all of their kids to the extent of competition there would be at New Rochelle Highschool. A select few from Isaac, including myself were lucky, we worked hard and got good grades that got us into the “well behaved” classes at the highschool. So the minute i walked into my honors classes freshman year, most of the seats were taken by people i didn't know. The majority of the kids were from Albert Leonard. Sophomore year, walking into honors and AP classes, the majority of the kids were from Albert Leonard. House 4 caf, the majority of the kids were from Albert Leonard. My varsity soccer team, the majority of the girls were from Albert Leonard. The classes that were not honors that I took were made up of the black and latino kids. The “ghetto” lunch rooms were made up of the black and latino kids.

 

Everything positive, everything that colleges would look for on a resume, clubs, sports teams, challenging classes, is filled with white, privileged kids from Albert Leonard. There is a sense of segregation in and out of the classroom.. A student of color from Isaac has to work harder just to be academically equal to an average person at Albert. The end goal is to get into a good college, right? Well who's more likely to get in? Student A, with a rough background, no honors classes, no AP courses, no sports teams or clubs, no legacy at any universities and no college fund. Or student B, with clubs, honors classes, AP courses, multiple school sports teams, club sports teams, private tutors and relatives with college degrees and experience with the whole college application process. I have seen too many friends not fulfill their potential because of their circumstances.

 

New Rochelle is all about celebrating diversity but won't acknowledge the huge gap between the minorities and the privileged. Sometimes it's not as blatant as racial slurs, but injustice is felt through stereotypical comments and success rates among people of color contrary to the white students. Until there is equality for everyone, it comes down to luck.

 

How lucky you get with your resources, connections, even home life. It's sad to know my siblings and many of my peers have to work harder because of their racial and economic background, whereas if you grow up on the “right” side of New Rochelle, you have a safe and secure future to work with.

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