E M I L I A N O

From "I Can't." to "I Did It!"

Emiliano is a bright, curious 3rd grader at UCC’s Bruce-Guadalupe Community School (BGCS), eager to share fun stories and ask questions. But when it came to reading and writing, that confidence faded. Simple tasks, like copying his homework into his planner, felt impossible. “I can’t do it,” he’d say, pushing his notebook away.

But his teachers saw beyond his frustration. They knew he was capable and that he needed the right support to believe in himself. He began participating in small-group reading instruction and receiving extra help through ASAP, UCC’s after-school academic support program. His teachers encouraged him every step of the way, giving him strategies to break down tasks, express his ideas out loud before writing, and take things one step at a time.

Little by little, Emiliano’s mindset started to shift. Instead of giving up, he kept trying. And his hard work paid off! By winter, his Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) reading score jumped from 176 to 190, which is double the national growth average.

The biggest change for Emiliano wasn’t in the numbers. It was in Emiliano himself. He no longer sees challenges as roadblocks, but as problems he can solve. He confidently writes in his planner without hesitation and raises his hand in class, eager to explain how he got his answer.

The support Emiliano received at UCC made all the difference - not just in academics, but in believing in himself. His journey is proof that, with the right guidance, encouragement, and a community that refuses to let students give up on themselves, the words “I can’t” can transform into “I did it!”