Last friday was Commitment Day at Verbum Dei High School in Watts. It is one of the most magical days of the year in South Central Los Angeles. It is a day of pride, accomplishment , celebration and pure joy. These young men, from one of the roughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, beat the odds of most in their environment. They will not be going into gangs or to prison but rather 100% of these students will be going to college in the fall.
These young men come from poverty, they are often a behind national averages in school when they arrive at The Verb. In addition to overcoming poverty, family issues, grades and gang pressures these students are trained to work in corporate America. One day a week they board a van to their job, where they work to help subsidize their education and more importantly see who they can become. After four years of studying, working, doing sports and becoming “Men for Others” these students are proud to tell their family and friends that they are heading to a place most have never been, college.
Last friday as I watched the boy’s pride in themselves and in each other, as they announced where they would be going to college, tears streamed down my face with joy . Verbum Dei Class of 2014 students will be attending schools such as Stanford, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, and Cal States to name a few.
The Commitment and the day was theirs but the joy and pride belonged to all.
Charity Matters.
Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.
