RaiderNet

Many times, high school students have to make the decision of whether to just go to school and study, or go to school, study, and get a job.

However, this decision is more complicated with the ENL students. It is more difficult because many are living here with relatives and their parents are back home in their own countries, and they need to supplement their stay here.

Decisions become more complicated because of the language barrier. One student explained, "I applied for five different jobs before I was able to secure employment because my English was not that good in the interviews." He went on to say, "Once I began working, I had almost no time to study for my school assignments. It became very stressful."

Junior Wilder Reyes commented, "I found it almost impossible to study and work because I worked during the night shift and it was hard to focus and stay awake during the day, and if you are too tired, it's hard to pay attention in class."

Sophomore Selena Ramirez worked last year and was able to successfully finish all her assignments. However, she stated it was better to not work and focus only on her studies because she recognized that here at GRB, the staff helped her and gave her the support that she would not be able to find in other places. She also agreed that many students are not fortunate enough to find this support.

So the question is, do we work and study, or just study? Sometimes, life offers us choices that are difficult to make. Either way we are always growing and learning, and G. Ray Bodley offers us many opportunities to open doors and accommodate our needs. We are grateful for that!