At the end of David Tagle’s first semester of high school, he was met with a report card full of Fs.
“I didn't really take school seriously at all during my first semester,” David said. “When others found out about my grades, they would say things and pick on me, which led me to take school less seriously and gave me zero motivation.”
Realizing that it was not the best environment for him, David decided to leave high school.
After David’s childhood friend spoke to him about Come Back Kids (CBK) Charter, an independent study program for students age thirteen and up, he decided to try it out, despite not thinking much of it.
During David’s first year at CBK, the pandemic hit, and David’s older brother lost his job. Faced with few job opportunities, David’s brother decided it was time to go back to school – after a ten-year break. David recalls that this was the moment when he “realized there’s a reason to go to college.” Through his brother, David saw the opportunities education could afford him and began to learn about programming and software engineering.
“My oldest brother helped me out the most, he had started college and showed me what he was doing. It inspired me to continue my studies – to study to earn a job I can't lose,” David said.
While attending CBK, David was able to attend college-level courses in computer programming, help desk training, and computer security available through the University of California, Riverside (UCR) Extension. David was introduced to this opportunity by his teacher, Develyn Biagas, during his sophomore year at CBK.
“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do after high school, but I was already into computers. The classes had their own instructors and we connected through Zoom every day except Wednesday to learn about computers,” David explained. “I learned about the various parts of computers, cyber security, and networking. At the end, I earned a physical certificate that can land me a job or internship.”
All of David’s efforts were recognized with the help of Develyn Biagas when he was awarded the Reaching At-Promise Students Association (RAPSA) Courage Award, which is awarded to students who demonstrate courage in overcoming obstacles and pursuing academic excellence and dreams.
“David never missed his CBK weekly appointments, walked to school in the rain if needed, asked questions, sought out resources when he needed help and even completed concurrent enrollment courses with UCR,” said Biagas in her student nomination form for David.
“I was really surprised when I learned that I won the scholarship – I didn’t really feel like I deserved it when I got it,” David said. “At that time, the pandemic was going on and everyone was struggling. I didn’t have anyone to talk to besides my teacher, and I was falling behind in school with everything on the computer. But my brother gave me encouragement and talked to me about school. That’s when I started thinking about my future and pushed myself to get back on track.”
With his brother’s advice, and the courses David attended through UCR Extension, David has gained a clearer understanding of what he hopes to pursue in the future. Through CBK, David was able to graduate early and is planning to attend Riverside City College in the fall. After finishing there, he intends on transferring to UC Riverside to pursue software engineering. In the next five years, David plans to have his bachelor’s degree and a stable job at a company such as Google or Netflix.
David is an example of the type of student CBK hopes to support in their pursuit of success. While at CBK, David has had access to teachers who have aided him in several ways, such as directing him to UCR Extension courses and assisting him in filling out his Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for college.
“CBK impacted my future a lot – my grades improved, I was able to be certificated, and now I can begin community college early,” David said. “It’s never too late to continue your education.”