The students are graduates of , a Grade 6-8 school in the heart of a gritty inner city neighbourhood. From the first class of 17 that began in 2011, 11 students have graduated high school and 10 will commence higher learning this September. Four more will continue their high school studies while one is gainfully employed.
The success stories are quite an accomplishment for students raised in the economically disadvantaged area, with its large Indigenous population, that was labelled Canada鱿鱼视频app worst neighbourhood by 惭补肠濒别补苍鱿鱼视频app magazine in 2007. The area has struggled to shed the label ever since. While things have improved, the same problems cited by 惭补肠濒别补苍鱿鱼视频app 鈥� unemployment, gangs, crime, violence and drugs, often the legacy of the reserve system and residential schools 鈥� remain. And the students reflect the face of the community. 鱿鱼视频app 60 per cent of that first class is Indigenous (subsequent years has seen that number rise to 80 per cent), while a number hail from refugee families. The thing they have in common? Money, and opportunity, is scarce.
Curtis Kleisinger is the executive director at Mother Teresa. You can sense his pride when he tells you 70 per cent of the first class has graduated, a number well above the Saskatchewan average for Indigenous students.
鈥淎 lot of our kids, without some added supports, some coaching and someone looking out for them and somebody working with the families, probably wouldn鈥檛 be in school today 鈥� they would be finding other things,鈥� said Kleisinger. He leaves it hanging, but you know he means 鈥渢hings鈥� that can lead to prison.
Mother Teresa has been doing its part to change the troubled neighbourhood. The school got its start through the philanthropic efforts of the Hill family and its group of companies that for more than 100 years has been part of western Canada鱿鱼视频app financial fabric. The Hill Companies give back to the community through the One Life Makes a Difference charitable foundation.
On a trip to India, Paul Hill, chairman, president and CEO, and his wife Carol were captivated by Mother Teresa鱿鱼视频app urging for them to return to their community, identify a need and give of themselves and their resources to fill it. Paul Hill 鈥� entrusted as a Knight of St. Sylvester by Pope Benedict XVI in recognition of his charitable work 鈥� came across the Jesuits鈥� NativityMiguel Network of Schools in the United States and its mandate to provide a positive, quality school choice for families in impoverished neighbourhoods.
In partnership with the , and the , Mother Teresa Middle School was born, joining the 46-member NativityMiguel Coalition of schools across North America (44 in the U.S. and Gonzaga Middle School in Winnipeg). The first class began studies in 2011, and each year since a new class of highly motivated, economically disadvantaged students has enrolled.
Students are chosen based on two criteria: need and motivation.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app the only program that has proven to change lives with measurable outcomes,鈥� said Hill, noting students that had an 80+ per cent chance of failure have turned it around after attending Mother Teresa and now have an 80+ per cent chance of success.
鈥淎 lot of these kids have never crossed the tracks鈥� 鈥� Regina is the classic other-side-of-the-tracks kind of town 鈥� 鈥渁nd now they鈥檙e exposed to all the possibilities in their lives, professions, job opportunities, educational opportunities that they wouldn鈥檛 have been exposed to otherwise,鈥� said Hill.
Dylan Cyr-Yuzicappi can attest to the difference the school has made. Part of the original Mother Teresa class, 17-year-old Cyr-Yuzicappi went on to Notre Dame, the private Catholic school in Wilcox, a half hour south of Regina, where he graduated last spring. He is now taking classes at Regina鱿鱼视频app First Nations University on the University of Regina campus, where a number of his classmates will also continue their studies. He said it was tough to overcome the challenges from his North-Central upbringing, 鈥渂ut with the support of Mother Teresa, they helped a lot through my tough times. I can鈥檛 thank them enough for that. I really appreciate that.鈥�
It was seven years ago that these students began their scholastic journey at Regina鱿鱼视频app Mother Teresa Middle School. They graduated, moved on to high school and now a number of them have enrolled in post-secondary institutions. (Photo courtesy of Mother Teresa Middle School)
Mother Teresa Middle School has allowed highly motivated students from the tough inner city North-Central neighbourhood of Regina to further their education. (Photo courtesy of Mother Teresa Middle School)
The school program gives the students 鈥� mostly Indigenous 鈥� opprtunities they otherwise would not have, including (above) Dylan Cyr-Yuzicappi (with ball) who has played on the provincial rugby team and will play for the University of Regina Cougars this fall. (Photo from Dylan Cyr-Yuzicappi)
Mother Teresa opened up a new world for the Indigenous teen, beyond just education. Prior to Mother Teresa, sports had not been a big part of Cyr-Yuzicappi鱿鱼视频app life. He ran some cross-country, but says for the most part he鈥檇 hang around the house where he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 really do much.鈥� But at Mother Teresa he developed into a high-end athlete and played on the Saskatchewan Selects football team in the gridiron-mad province and on the provincial rugby team. He will further his rugby career with the University of Regina Cougars this fall.
It鱿鱼视频app the education, though, that has had the greatest effect on Cyr-Yuzicappi. His goal is to be a teacher and give back to his community.
鈥淪eeing how good the teachers are and how they helped me getting on the path of doing good in my life, that鱿鱼视频app what really helped me,鈥� he said.
He was an average student at best upon entering Mother Teresa, but with that help he has been able to harness his potential.
鈥淭hey taught me how to set goals, reasonable goals that I could attain, and just how to become the best student (that I can be).鈥�
As part of the first class, Cyr-Yuzicappi doesn鈥檛 take lightly the example he and his classmates set for those who follow.
鈥淚鈥檝e known all these younger kids for a while now and I鈥檝e grown an attachment to them, and I want to see them succeed,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to show them what鱿鱼视频app possible in their future.鈥�
Many Mother Teresa students are the first in their family to go this far in their education.
鈥淲e need somebody in their family to be the first,鈥� said Kleisinger. 鈥淪omebody being the first is incredibly powerful.
鈥淣ow they鈥檙e an example for everybody. And if you can do it, so can I. That鱿鱼视频app what they didn鈥檛 have.鈥�
Hill is thrilled with the first class attaining these heights.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app exciting to get that far,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s the program moves along it gets stronger and stronger.鈥�
A new phase, though, brings new challenges. For many of the students and their families, life has always been a struggle. Some have watched their parents die 鈥� even at the hands of another parent 鈥� or they鈥檝e been abused by family members, or dealt with schizophrenia, or grown up in foster care, or even lived within the shelter system.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app not as easy as I just need to take this kid and get him in a different school and life is going to be different,鈥� said Kleisinger. 鈥淥ur kids, sometimes it鱿鱼视频app five steps forward and two steps back. Mom, she鱿鱼视频app clean this week and next week she鱿鱼视频app not, and what does that do to the family?鈥�
Mother Teresa鱿鱼视频app model is designed to give students a better chance to succeed. With smaller class sizes, staff can move quicker to help students. And keeping the kids in the same school for three years is unheard of for many of them. Kleisinger said the transient nature of many families has seen students enrolled 鈥渋n 16, 17 schools by the time they get to us.鈥�
鈥淥ur School Community Outreach Coordinator (social worker), teachers, Graduate Support Director, college and careers coach, cultural liaison and support staff go above and beyond to remove any barriers that come between our students and their education, said Kleisinger.
Hill concurs.
鈥淎ll the people who work in the programs, I call them saints because they鈥檙e extremely dedicated,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app challenging, they鈥檝e got a crisis every day.鈥�
Support includes two meals a day, professional counselling, dental and eye care, after-school enrichment, summer programs and mentors from the community, as well as support for the families.
There鱿鱼视频app no doubt, Kleisinger has seen progress. The key to the future, though, will be in capitalizing on the hope that has been generated where there was none.
鈥淲e really focus on hope, engagement, well-being,鈥� said Kleisinger. 鈥淭he biggest thing you have to flip is the hope, that hope piece, that things do work out and I can work hard, I can be successful.鈥�
Kleisinger sees the results. 鈥淚 do feel confident that we are making a difference.鈥�
Cyr-Yazicuppi hopes to play a major part in making that difference. His aim is to help others overcome their struggles, in the classroom and on the playing field.
鈥淚 want to bring rugby to reserve communities and get more Native people involved in the sport,鈥� he said.
He embraces the challenge of blazing new trails as he and his classmates continue their studies.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the first class, we鈥檝e been trail blazers for a lot of years, and it鱿鱼视频app really nothing new for us. It will be a challenge that is welcome,鈥� he said.
The future won鈥檛 be without its struggles. Money needed to run the school itself and for ensuring its graduates can make it through the high school system. For some, like Cyr-Yazicuppi, that means getting them into a school like Notre Dame, where it can cost a student living in residence $30,000, or Luther College High School, a Regina private school. With Mother Teresa鱿鱼视频app first graduates now reaching university age, even more funding is needed, adding up to a total commitment of 11 years or more to its students.
鱿鱼视频app 25 per cent of the school鱿鱼视频app budget is government-funded and another quarter comes from a major donor. That leaves a lot of ground to make up, and Kleisinger finds himself seeking donors, running fundraisers and accessing grants to help make up the difference.
Family support is also important. Kleisinger said many of the parents and grandparents are products of residential schools, so the education experience has not been good.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e dealing with a population that doesn鈥檛 trust anybody and doesn鈥檛 trust very easy,鈥� he said.
But staff are slowly gaining that trust, making connections with families, and that allows 鈥渦s to go to places some people can鈥檛.鈥�
鈥淗aving that continuity and having that person they can go to should they need anything鈥�. they know they can come to us and help them problem solve.鈥�
Kleisinger knows he and his staff have a long way to go before they can say they are a true success story.
鈥淲hen do you know when you鈥檝e been successful? For me it will be when they can come up to me and introduce me to their families. They are loving fathers, good husbands.鈥�
That is down the road a little, but Kleisinger can wait. He says they set a lofty goal 鈥渢o bat 1,000.鈥� Mother Teresa may not reach that 鈥� 鈥渨e鈥檙e not perfect鈥� 鈥� but the effort will be there.