Guidance for Latino Parents of High School-Age Children

Mariela Dabbah, author of Help Your Children Succeed in High School and Go To College, offers advice on dealing with some of the unique issues facing Latino parents of high school-age children

Commitment:  Your Book, Help Your Children Succeed in High School and Go To College, is a helpful guide for Latino parents with high school age children. What are some of the unique issues which concern Latino parents?

Mariela Dabbah:  Many Latino parents haven’t attended school in this country and they are not as familiar with the school system as they should. As a result, they may not be aware of what it’s required of students while in high school in order to be ready to go to college. They are also concerned about the fact that they lose control of their kids because they don’t understand their world and many times, this is compounded by the fact that the parents don’t speak English and their kids do.

Commitment:  How can Latino parents find out about scholarships available specifically for Latino high school students?

Mariela:  My book gives them many resources available and they can find more by visiting my website and blog: www.marieladabbah.com and www.marielablog.com. They should talk to the local librarians because more often than not, there are local scholarships that very few people know about and even fewer apply to. They should visit the websites of the well known Hispanic organizations that focus on helping Latinos get to college, such as www.hsf.net, and www.hispanicfund.com and they should also visit websites like: www.scholarshipsforhispanics.com that are scholarship search engines specifically for Latinos.

Commitment:  Where can parents of undocumented children turn to learn about educational opportunities for their children?

Mariela:  First, parents need to understand that undocumented students can go to high school with no requirement of legal residency. They can also go to college and depending on their state, they might even be able to go to a State University and pay in-state tuition if they lived in the state and attended high school there for certain number of years. The problem arises when looking for financial aid. They don’t qualify for government money but there are scholarships that they can find in www.maldef.org and some private universities will also provide students with financial aid regardless of their legal status.

Commitment:  You state that a key factor in helping one's children succeed in high school is to make sure the  high school is a good fit for their children. What should parents look for in a high school?

Mariela:  It’s important to make sure there’s an environment conducive to learning. There needs to be good leadership, an interesting curriculum and a variety of extra curricular activities. Make sure there’s a welcoming atmosphere, dedicated teachers, and then check the size of the school. Some students do better in a larger school than others. Parents should check the graduation rate, attendance rate, and level of criminal incidents before they enroll their kids there.  If the high school is gang infested it makes it hard for students to focus and succeed. In this case, I suggest that parents look for options such as magnet schools, charter schools or even moving to provide their children with better learning opportunities

Commitment:  What are some of the differences between high schools in the US and high schools in Latin America?

Mariela:  Every country is slightly different and in the last few years, schools have changed in Latin America becoming a little bit more like schools in the US. What seems to be different is the attitude parents have about education. People raised in Latin America tend to leave education more to teachers and not get as involved as parents do here. 

Commitment:  How can parents whose first language may not be English help their children prepare for college admissions tests such as the SAT?

Mariela:  The secret is to understand that you as a parent don’t need to help them directly. Your responsibility is to help them get help. To make sure they fulfill their requirements, they study, they seek guidance. To talk to them and find out areas of weakness. Partnering with the parent of a classmate who speaks the language or who is a college graduate is a good solution. Parents should help students find mentors who can guide them in the process. They can find mentors all around: their doctor, lawyer, banker, accountant… professional associations are also good places to look for mentors.

Commitment:  How important is a supportive peer group for high school students who want to succeed?

Mariela:  It’s critical for youngsters to spend time with peers who have the same goals in order to succeed. Sharing resources with other students reduces the time invested in researching for scholarships, colleges, etc. And for students who are the first ones to attend college in their families, this support group can make a big difference because they all go through the process together.

Commitment:  What are some of the most important steps a Latino parent can take to help her child do well in high school?

Mariela:  Research shows that there are three key things parents can do to substantially improve their kids chances of success in high school:
 
• Make sure their child is turning in his/her homework on time and meeting all academic deadlines.
• Supervise their time and be aware (always!) of what they are doing after school. Supervising your children after school activities is one of the keys to their success.
• Have an ongoing dialog with your teenager about their concerns, problems, dreams, expectations. The more you talk, the more you know what they want, who they are with, what areas they need help with, and so on.

Commitment:  What role can online or long distance learning programs play when an immigrant student is more than a year behind in school?

Mariela:  Some programs can help them catch up with the loss time. Make sure it’s approved by the child school and he/she will receive credit for it.

Commitment:  You cite some disturbing statistics: one of every three Hispanic students does not complete high school and only 10% of Hispanics graduate from four-year colleges and universities. How can individual Hispanic parents begin to reverse this trend?

Mariela:  I’m now launching a new initiative called “Latinos in College” to help increase the number of Latinos who graduate from college. They can find out more at: www.latinosincollege.com
My new book “Latinos in College: Your Guide to Succeed” helps students understand what they need to succeed in college. One of the crucial aspects is dealing with your family when you are the first one to go to college. Many families don’t want their kids to move away, or they prefer kids to go to work instead of going to school. It’s harder now with the economic downturn, but parents must understand that in the long run people with a college degree always fair better in bad economic times. The best way to grow and move up the socioeconomic ladder in this country is through a college education. So, supporting their children’s dreams, encouraging them to pursue the best opportunities available and not just the ones close to home is a way to help reverse the trend.

Commitment:  Can extracurricular activities and summer programs help a child succeed in high school?

Mariela:  Anything that engages the student in a positive way will contribute to his/her success. What’s important is to keep focused and to stick to one activity for a certain amount of time rather than starting several things and dropping out of them after a few months. 

Commitment:  If a student needs to work while in high school, can she still do well?

Mariela:  It depends on the student. Some people are very focused and have the ability to work and study. Others get distracted or worse, they get the impression that, given that they are already making money without a degree, they don’t need one. Maybe working during the summer could be a good option.

Commitment:  What are some of the biggest difficulties confronted by Latino parents of high school children and how can they overcome them?

Mariela:  See question 1.

Commitment:  What do colleges look for in an applicant?

Mariela:  Colleges look for someone with good grades, good scores and an overall good high school resume. That means, students who are involved in community programs and who show leadership skills; who have volunteered many hours, write a strong essay, and have excellent recommendations.  A good option for a student who doesn’t have the best grades or who is a good student but has trouble testing, is to ask for a personal interview. If the student has a good personality and good communication skills, this may make a big difference in his/her chances to be admitted. Most students don’t take advantage of this opportunity.

To purchase Help Your Children Succeed in High School and Go to College, click here.