“Where would you rather be? With three girls at college, or four boys in prison?"
That’s how KPBS’ Hispanic Heritage Month Local Hero Robert Rivas gets the attention of a classroom of young boys — all Latino, in grades seven through 12.
Rivas is a data-driven problem solver, an avid reader, and wanted me to know unequivocally: This is not about him.
“It’s about the boys we’re fighting for,” he says — the young men who face a great risk of leaving school with no degree, and are part of one of largest pieces of the U.S. demographic pie: Latinos.
And that’s where Rivas applies his problem solving skills. In San Diego’s North County region, Rivas notes that Latino boys have a 65 percent graduation rate. And nationally, Latino students continue to graduate behind the national average, according to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics.
He’s been asked by many people, including me, “Why only Latino boys? Why not all genders?” And for Rivas, it comes down to the numbers. Latino boys face one of the biggest deficits.
What’s more, Rivas sees himself in these kids. One of the programs Rivas runs through Encuentros Leadership, the nonprofit he founded, is called Leadership Academy. “This academy I run,” he says, “has 40 to 50 boys attend. And I see myself in these boys. Every year.”
Rivas says that since he started this academy 10 years ago, 97 percent of attendees have gone on to college. This academy provides a full week of college campus immersion to prepare 10th and 11th graders for that life shift.
Rivas has faced a lot of the problems he’s trying to remedy with these young boys. He says his father didn’t go to any of his school functions because he didn’t speak English. And due to the language divide between Rivas' school and home in northern California, he couldn't read until third grade. While this isn’t considered a huge deficit by some measures, Rivas couldn’t seek help at home. And it wasn’t even a teacher who kindled his love of reading.
“It was my friend Archie.” Archie was adamant about teaching Rivas how to read. One day, Archie sat down with him, read one page out loud, and had Rivas read it back. Then they did it again. And again. They kept at it that until it struck Rivas: He could read.
Archie started screaming at the teacher, the other students crowded around Rivas and Archie to celebrate. “It was a big event that day,” Rivas said. When he got home he recalls, “I was screaming and yelling, waving the book to show my parents I could read.” He’s been a voracious reader ever since.
This issue is similar to many facing Latino boys in San Diego. They need to read, graduate, excel. But they need help outside of home and school. Rivas can (and does) list many data points outlining the grave state facing those he serves. To help these hurdles, Encuentros, with Rivas’ lead, continues to champion several programs in line with his strong commitment to Latino youths. Because, as he said, "it's about the boys we're fighting for."
Meet fellow 2016 honoree Patricia Rincon.
