Joaquin thrived in Starfish, learning a ton, speaking more and better English and asking every day “do we get to go to the swimming pool this week?!” Joaquin's parents were helpful and involved, they came to all the parent meetings and Joaquin's dad came and said a few words to our Board members about how thankful their family was for the Starfish program.
Joaquin made such great gains over the summer that he was recommended for the Starfish after school program and by the end of the fall he was reading on grade level.
That December though, things changed when Joaquin's father tragically and unexpectedly passed away. This left mother with two sons, a mortgage on a mobile home and everything that goes with it. She got a job making minimum wage. She also rented out a room in her trailer to another family. This left Joaquin, his brother and his mother in one bedroom.
Because the mother had no child care assistance and because the school was afraid that with all that had happened that Joaquin would “fall through the cracks” the YMCA was able to surround the family with services including, 2 scholarships to
Joaquin finished the summer of 2006 in Starfish reading above grade level and being a help and encouragement to the other students in his class. In the spring of 2008 he passed his 3rd grade reading EOG and today, despite all the obstacles in his short life, Joaquin is a very bright, kind hearted and enthusiastic 6th grader.