艾可直播

Student Profiles

Karla Camacho

Karla Camacho

艾可直播 Brownsville, Class of 2019 鈫 Yale University

If you look up the term 鈥淎merican dream鈥, the definition reads, 鈥渢he ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved.鈥

My parents were in the search for that dream not just for themselves, but for their children. I was born in Brownsville, Texas and grew up in Matamoros, Mexico, where my parents were both born and raised. Although Matamoros was my home, I knew it wouldn鈥檛 be much longer. My parents often talked about moving to the United States, where my brother and I would continue our studies.

They heard about 艾可直播 Public Schools and liked its 100% college acceptances but were especially drawn to its focus on the whole student. They felt 艾可直播 would do more than just help their kids graduate; it would give them choices and help students become disciplined and prepared for success.

Choosing 艾可直播 meant moving to the United States, but my parents were going to do what they had to do. I became a 6th grader at 艾可直播 Brownsville and although I knew English vocabulary well, I had a difficult time speaking fluently and understanding what others said. Yet, with support from my family, friends, and teachers, I improved.

During high school, I was challenged by Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes and exams. Just when it felt like the American Dream was coming true for me, I realized that in the Rio Grande Valley for most of my peers, the 鈥淎merican Dream鈥 remains just what its definition states: an ideal yet to be fulfilled.

Not every child can enroll in a school that offers AP and IB programs and less have the tools necessary to succeed at them. During a summer program for Latinx leadership at the George Washington University, I met Latinx youth who were the only Latinx students in their AP or IB classes.

At 艾可直播, every student is enrolled in AP and IB classes. At 艾可直播 Brownsville, where 98.02% of the students identify as Hispanic or Latinx, AP for all and IB for all value helps pick up the students who would usually not enroll said programs due to lack of opportunity or level of difficulty.

Throughout my time at 艾可直播, I have learned that 艾可直播 tries to close the achievement gap by providing 100% of its students with the tools necessary to try to level out the playing field for students from underserved communities.

Today, I have options like my recent acceptance to Yale University, because my parents made hard choices when it came to my education. I am grateful that 艾可直播 has equipped me with the leadership and critical thinking skills that will help me join others in pushing the educational equity movement forward.