Shalimar Teen Center praises its graduates

Deirdre Newman

COSTA MESA -- Before she started attending the Shalimar Teen Center,

Maritza Barajas had trouble focusing on her homework and earned low

grades.

Now the high school senior is getting straight A’s and has plans to

attend Orange Coast College.

On Monday night, Barajas celebrated her Shalimar experience at the

center’s graduation. Twenty-four eighth-graders and seven high school

seniors were honored at the ceremony at St. Joachim’s Catholic Church.

Shalimar is an after-school homework program for students in first

through 12th grade. It is supported as an outreach ministry by St.

Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, St. Joachim’s Church and Women of Vision,

as well as Costa Mesa Cares -- a collaboration between the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District and the city.

The ceremony aims to honor students in a more intimate manner than the

usual school graduations can.

Speaker Rito Chavez, pastor of the Centro de Fe Cristiano Church,

encouraged the graduates to make good choices.

“The life we will be living has to do with decisions we make today,”

Chavez said.

Eighth-grader Aracely Avila, 14, said Shalimar has helped her.

“Without Shalimar, I would be outside playing, not doing homework,”

she said.

Stephan Erkelens, the center’s executive director, said the program

has transformed the neighborhood and given many students academic

opportunities.

“Their success demonstrates that these people can make it,” Erkelens

said. “Thirty percent of the teen center grads have gone onto college.

Considering the dropout rate [among Latinos] is 40%, that’s pretty good.”