Maurice's story

 photo: www.richardfreeda.com

This is Maurice. He just graduated Domus Academy as an 8th grader. Maurice had struggled in his other New Haven schools, and his behavior when he arrived at Domus Academy was...well, "challenging" was the word we used. He wasn't really happy to be in any school, much less ours, and it seems he wasn't shy about letting everyone know. It probably didn't help he was three grades behind in reading and five grades behind in math. It's tough to focus, behave, and have hope when you're so far behind. Thankfully, we're like bulldogs: persistent and stubborn.

Maurice is incredibly smart--he loves computers and has a real talent with them--and we knew that once he made the decision to put some effort into his work, he had great potential to do well academically. Maurice didn't trust us right away, so it took awhile for him to turn his grades and behavior around. This spring, Maurice got himself in a tough spot, and he made the right decision. It wasn't an easy call to make, but he did it, and from that point on, we knew he was listening to us. He also came to school on a daily basis. Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was a complete 180-degree shift for Maurice.

Fast forward to the end of the year: Maurice, our 8th grader three grades behind in reading and five behind in math, met goal on his CMTs, outperforming half his peers across the state and making tremendous progress during the year. I asked Maurice's mom what changed for her son, and she said, "He had a lot of help from Domus Academy. [School director] Mr. McGuire was there for him no matter what. He got into some trouble, but they didn't give up on him."

We know this is just the beginning for this bright young man and look forward to seeing him continue to improve and mature as he attends Hillhouse this fall.