Kevin has a special story as a Dreamer at IHAD-EPA: he began as a member of the cohort in first grade, and left early on to attend a school in Mountain View. Then, four years later, Kevin re-appeared at Costano when his living situation changed again! We were so happy to have one of our original Dreamers back. Kevin is incredibly involved in his school and surrounding community, but especially in matters of soccer. Kevin’s dad runs a sports equipment shop, and provided the soccer jerseys for Kevin’s school team. Sports isn’t the only thing on his mind; Kevin is very gifted in areas of math. He likes to use math to help his dad at the store, by keeping track of money! Kevin currently attends East Palo Alto Academy.

Edwina has a sharp wit and the motivating competitive spirit to outperform her peers, whether she’s in class at Sacred Heart Prep or on a soccer field full of boys. She’s easily achieved straight A’s her entire life, which is why she accepted the challenge of private school last fall. Since attending SHS, she’s only seen one “B+” graze her report card to add to her list of “A’s”, which is how we know she hasn’t met her match yet. Not only does Edwina dominate in the classroom, but also on the playing field. Be it soccer, track, basketball, or volleyball, Edwina seems to excel at it all. This year’s challenge? Finding time to rest as the rigor picks up pace in her 8th grade year at SHS.

Jose came to IHAD-EPA as a 5th grader at Costano, and we couldn’t be happier to continue to welcome him into the family. A hard working, smart, creative and witty jokester, Jose is pure energy when he enters a room. Now as a 7th grader, Jose has found  two true passions: technology and music. A master of his imac laptop, Jose easily navigates the vast world of technology and likes to share his knowledge with others. In the IHAD-EPA after school program Jose loves playing the Son Jarocho band, where he plays a special type of guitar. Jose is an 8th grader at East Palo Alto Academy, and hopes to attend Sacred Heart Prep or Menlo School for high school.

When Ariana first arrived to IHAD-EPA, she was very hesitant with her English, and hardly spoke outside of the native Spanish. Only two years later, we can’t seem to get this social butterfly to be quiet! While she has made tremendous strides in English, it’s clear that her specialization is in math, where she exceeds grade level. She also shows clear athletic promise as one of the stars of the East Palo Alto Academy soccer team. She credits the English lessons through IHAD-EPA that helped her gain the confidence she has today.

Isaiah is a shock to see in person at first--mostly because he’s likely taller than you. At age 14, he towers over all the Dreamers and most of the staff members on campus. He also has a heart with a size to match. Isaiah, encouraged by his loving mom, Catrice, works hard daily to push himself academically and socially. He sometimes admits that he lets his temper get the best of him, but it’s something he is working on with special help from teachers, volunteers, and mentors at IHAD. With help from the IHAD-EPA summer program in 2008, Isaiah is looking forward to make great strides in both math and language arts achievement in the fall at East Palo Alto Academy.