Portrait of a KIPPster is a photoblog of glimpses into the stories and moments that give us pause and purpose.

If you know Josue, you know. If you don’t, let me paint a picture. Josue is 11 and he’s little for his age. Every morning his dad walks him to the gate and they embrace in the kind of hug that puts a smile on your face. Josue walks in to school like everyone else, except he's not like everyone else. He's silly and he has a hard time understanding boundaries. He's also honest and reflective and takes responsibility for his actions. This, admittedly, can be challenging.

Last year, Ms. R. Roh and Josue had a hard time building relationships. They worked on it. Ms. Roh created a tracker, she checked in with him multiple times a day, she spent extra time with him and learned about his likes, his interests and family, they set daily goals, and guess what? It worked. Their relationship was a lever in his success.

This donut is a symbol of their relationship. Ms. R. Roh had a birthday this week and Josue went out of his way to walk her across the street to get donuts, "on him." When we build relationships with students they make lasting impacts. Students don't forget how you make them feel. They don't forget when you invest in them and learn about them. You sustain them. Thank you, Ms. Roh, for being an example of this and sharing this experience.

With love and in solidarity,

Mo, KIPP Sol Academy School Leader, November 2019