Angie Hernandez loves Gulfton Promise Head Start.
“When my youngest boy graduates, I’m going to cry!”
When Angie enrolled her first son Bryan, now age 8, in the early childhood program, she knew he would get a good education. What she didn’t know was how much the school would impact both of her boys and herself.
Early Childhood Education Builds Confidence
“My oldest son, Bryan, had two years here. He got accepted into a really great school, and everything he has, he learned here – that makes me proud,” Angie said. “Now Kevin has one more year left, and they’ve learned so much – they are more open to new things.”
Of the 3,000 Early Head Start and Head Start students BakerRipley serves every year, 97% leave kindergarten-ready.
“Both my boys learn a lot – learning in both Spanish and English,” Angie shared. “It’s important to me that they speak both – it will help them have access to more opportunities. We are both Hispanic, so they can learn our language and culture.”
Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Education
When Angie realized volunteer opportunities existed at the school, she signed up. Fellow parents elected Angie as the the Policy Council Representative to the Head Start Policy Council meetings.
“With that program, I learned how the school runs, how they spend the money, and everything about the schools, for those in Harris and Ft. Bend county too,” Angie said.
While involvement in her kids’ education was Angie’s top priority, she quickly realized she also enjoyed leading and volunteering her time to expand upon her strengths.
“When I volunteer, I have the opportunity to learn how things work. Also to help my community, especially those who don’t speak English. I’m always open,” Angie said. “I’m not working right now, so I want to use my free time to help. I love volunteering. They ask me – I can do it.”
Because of BakerRipley’s network of services, Angie now plans to enroll her kids in karate and takes Zumba classes at the BakerRipley Gulfton Sharpstown Campus right down the street. Angie credits her community involvement with the opportunities she’s encountered at Gulfton Promise.
“The teachers have patience with the kids. They are smiling all the time, so the teachers here, I consider family. It’s all teamwork.”
