The distinction between the student Jae La Francis was and the one she is now is simple:
“Just being there,” she said quietly, on a night when family and Dutchess BOCES staff gathered to recognize just how big of a difference that can make.
Francis, a sophomore from the Poughkeepsie City School District attending BOCES’ Resilience Academy, was named BOCES Student of Distinction for the month of November. She was honored with a certificate at the Poughkeepsie Board of Education meeting Nov. 20.
Her math and science teacher of the last two years, Christopher Plant, spoke at the meeting and presented her the certificate, which states it is given “in recognition of significant hard work, dedication to studies and embodiment of positive behavior.”
He told the board, “She is a consistent, conscientious worker. She has improved her attendance and goal-setting ability. … In the last five marking periods, Jae La’s improvement and effort is top of the line.”
She credited her mother, Monica Jordan, for pushing her to commit to showing up each day ready to learn.
“She’s worked really hard for this,” Jordan said. “Her attendance, setting goals, completing them… She really tries hard with everything.”
Jordan said her daughter has found her place since shifting to attend BOCES in middle school and has formed close bonds with teachers. Social worker Maria Martinez-Jacobson said as Francis made the transition to high school “she started realizing early on ‘Oh, I have to do this to be able to go on to the next step.’ We starting making little goals.” This fall, especially, she’s come back to school “on track and wanting to do her best.” Martinez-Jacobson called Francis “an amazing friend to people. Her empathy is amazing. If you have a friend like Jae La, she’s got your back.”
Board member Kelleyann Royce-Giron encouraged Francis to feel proud of her progress and accomplishments. “I hope that this evening you leave here understanding that you are in the midst of something that sets you apart from others in a huge, positive way,” she said. “I’m sure it wasn’t always easy, but that’s resilience when you come out stronger on the other side of adversity.”
Francis said she enjoys learning, noting math is an easier subject for her since there are clear steps that can be followed. When not in school, she enjoys relaxing at home watching YouTube.
Her goal is to complete her credits this year to attend the cosmetology program at the Career and Technical Institute next year.
“Look at her hair, look at her style,” Jordan said of her daughter, who wore her curly hair up for the meeting, with a small sticker of a star on her forehead.
“I like to do my hair,” Francis said. “So, why not work on somebody else’s?”
