Angela

Meet Angela. She's a 4th grader at Rosa Smester, my favorite school in Monte Cristi. Now, don't be fooled. The students at Rosa Smester are probably some of the poorest in the community in every sense of the word (physically, emotionally, relationally, etc.) 4 o/o 5 students drop out of school by 5th grade, and 2 o/o 5 14-17 yr. olds are still in primary school. However, in my opinion, Angela is going to be more than a product of her environment. She is bright, caring, compassionate, and a good communicator. She begs me to send the 'Americanos' to her class, and when I do, she makes the most of every minute.  Often times, I become frustrated with the education system in this country and feel that these children are worthy of so much more.