During my childhood, both my parents worked long hours every day. They valued my education but were unable to help me with my homework. When my parents came home from work, my mom would try to help me with the subject I struggled with most: reading comprehension. However, this was sometimes difficult because she only knew a little bit of English and could not fully translate my homework.
Once LA’s BEST came into my life, my parents found relief knowing that I had somewhere safe to be afterschool with staff that helped me learn.
The staff at LA’s BEST helped fill in gaps in my learning. They taught me how to look for context clues to better understand reading passages. With their help, I actually got very high scores in my Reading Comprehension exams!
If it wasn’t for LA’s BEST, I wouldn’t have graduated 5th grade. Not only did they help me with homework, but I developed time management and focus in clubs. I managed to get good grades throughout my elementary years and high school years because of these skills, which led to where I am right now: on track to graduate from UC Riverside.
Along with opportunities to learn, LAs BEST gave me opportunities to discover who I am as a person. Ever since I was really young, I loved dancing. When my friends and staff encouraged me to join the Dance and Drill team, I was so happy because dance was and continues to be my passion. We celebrated “Cultural Days” by performing traditional dances from various cultures, like Korea and Mexico, for all our friends and family. Being in Dance & Drill helped me step out of my comfort zone. I was a shy little girl, but during dance performances I would come out of my bubble and become brave to perform. LA’s BEST Dance & Drill is where I started to become more outgoing and courageous, which carried over later into life.
Overall, LA’s BEST was a place of opportunity and development for me. The staff always kept me on track and gave me guidance to stay on the right path of education. I cherish the memories I made in this program and the support it offered my parents, who had peace of mind knowing I was being taken care of with homework help, enrichment activities, and adults who cared for me.
