Circle de Luz

Two Bright-Eyed Girls May 1, 2008

I am a part of Circle de Luz because of Anahi and because of Erika. Seven years ago I began to tutor Latino children with Amigos de Cristo in Huntersville, NC. Anahi was one of my first students. She was nine, with long dark hair and a heart-stopping beauty. Her family spoke no English, and she was struggling with trying to pass the fourth grade writing test. She always had bright, new school supplies, a neat notebook, and carefully written work to share. She loved school and had dreams of being a teacher. Anahi went on to middle school, and I stopped seeing her. Last year, I saw her little sister and asked about her, thinking she was in high school. Anahi is not in school, she said, she is living with her husband and her baby. Anahi was 16. It broke my heart.

Erika was the first Latina child I taught in Cornelius, NC. Her family was one of the first Mexican families in the area. Erika was an average, conscientious student who was often called upon to translate for her mother. While I had her, she had major family problems. And when she was in middle school, she and her mother and brother fled to Texas from her abusive father. Five years later came an unexpected letter, thanking me for supporting her. She was finishing in the top 10 in her class in Texas with a full scholarship to the University of Texas. Another letter came last week. Erika is finishing her degree in biology, headed to medical school and is engaged to be married.

Two bright-eyed little girls full of hope and two very different endings. Circle de Luz has the potential to tell more stories like Erika’s, and less like Anahi’s. I feel blessed to be a part of that effort.

– Rosemary Klein, Circle de Luz Board Member