From uprooted in Puerto Rico to Student Ambassador in Europe, Emmanuel Diaz vividly remembers being nine years old when police came to his father’s house, forcing him and his family into a police car with no explanation. “All I felt was pain as my father was the last image I saw through the window as they drove us away”, he said. Emmanuel later learned that his parents were in a bitter custody battle, and his mother, granted full custody, had returned to Puerto Rico with a police escort to bring him back to New York. When Emmanuel was admitted into a public school in the Bronx, Emmanuel struggled. “I was falling behind. I felt like an outsider, and I began to resent school and learning”, he recalls.
Things began to change when he attended Accion Academy and joined the East Side House. After-School SONYC Program, where Miss Crystal, the program director, created a safe and supportive environment. “She made our program a safe place…almost like a second home”, Emmanuel said. Despite this positive experience, his struggles continued in high school, and he nearly dropped out. Last September, he was transferred to the Lehman Young Adult Borough Center, where East Side House was again involved. “I am now BACK with people who care and believe in me”, Emmanuel said, crediting the support he received for helping him get back on track.
Emmanuel is determined to pursue a career as an electrician and aims to own his own business. “As soon as I graduate, I’m starting THAT part of my journey”, he said. He is also excited about being the first male in his family to graduate from high school this June.
Emmanuel concluded by thanking supporters, saying, “There are a lot of other Emmanuels out there that ESH is supporting to reach their potential. You (Eastside House) are making a difference.”