Ms. Victoria Aguilar has found her niche in education. Six years ago she started a Learning Center with HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op, Maranatha, in northwest Denver. Prior to starting a HOPE Learning Center, Ms. Aguilar had worked for more than a dozen years in the public schools. In fact, Denver Public Schools had helped her earn an education degree, as part of their paraprofessional to teacher program, from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
“Here, I connect with my students and make sure they don’t fall through the cracks,” said Ms. Aguilar, who is bilingual in Spanish and English. “I was involved in a lot of trouble growing up. But people believed in me, and that got me to where I am today.”
She has seen many students walk through her doors thinking they “were stupid” and “can’t graduate.”
“I love when the lightbulb goes off, and they finally believe they can do it. Watching kids reach graduation is why I do this. Education is something that no one can take away from you,” said Ms. Aguilar.
Ms. Aguilar’s Learning Center serves high school. She has implemented some ingenious strategies over the years to make sure her students know she cares.
“I text each student every morning and tell them that I look forward to seeing them at class. When someone has a hard day, we sit down and talk about it and figure out the next step. I share with them my struggles and mistakes. It puts learning on a human level,” said Ms. Aguilar.
It is this dedication to students that has built an environment of trust at Maranatha.
“She is always willing to sit down with her students and hear what they have to say. Ms. Aguilar always gives the kids the benefit of the doubt, and they respond well to that,” said one of the Maranatha mentors, Ms. Adrianna Orozco, who also happens to be Ms. Aguilar’s daughter.
Maranatha students speak highly of Ms. Aguilar and think the culture she has established at the HOPE Learning Center makes her a great educator.
“She is like a mother. She cares very deeply about all of her students,” said Maranatha student Elijah.
“She has a bond with each of her students,” said another Maranatha student, Manuel.
Not only have the adult leadership gained respect, but the students, who thrive in the smaller setting at Maranatha, care about how their peers are doing and motivate each other’s academic progress.
“It is rewarding to see the success the students have after they leave here. When they find ‘hope,’ they go on to accomplish big things for themselves like college,” said Ms. Aguilar.
Ms. Aguilar has walked in the shoes of many of her students. She grew up in a dysfunctional and abusive northwest Denver home and graduated from high school with a 1.75 GPA. Her parents didn’t receive a formal education, and she worked throughout high school. Victoria went to college at age 40, after establishing her career and starting a family. She graduated with a 3.4 GPA.
“At 62, I am far from being done with giving back to the community. This is what I’ve always done, and it just keeps getting better,” said Ms. Aguilar. “Being a part of HOPE has been rewarding. They are providing a needed education pathway for the youth in our state.”
HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op is blessed to have a leader in its ranks like Ms. Aguilar. Her daughter, Ms. Orozco, enjoys working side-by-side with her mother as a Maranatha mentor. She excelled in school and is great math instructor. Ms. Yvette Moreno, another of Maranatha’s mentors, is a Learning Center parent and is pursuing her college degree.
“She sets an example for her community that nothing in life can get in the way of achieving your dreams,” said Ms. Heather O’Mara, Founder and CEO of HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op.
The Douglas County School District will honor outstanding educators, including Ms. Aguilar, at the 2016 Apples Awards on March 5. She was nominated by her peers to be a HOPE representative at this year’s Sheraton Downtown Denver event.
HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op is proud of the thousands of lives that have been changed during their 10 year history. There are nearly 30 HOPE Learning Centers throughout the state. Students attend Learning Centers five days a week and rotate between online lessons and face-to-face classroom instruction. HOPE offers an alternative education pathway to students who may be struggling in a traditional school setting. A recent research report prepared by Dr. Carolyn Haug with the University of Colorado Denver found students who stay with HOPE for more than two years improve their academic performance. In addition to academics, HOPE runs an extensive student activities and athletics program, which grows each year and positively contributes to the academic success of students. HOPE is a charter school of the Douglas County School District and serves 2,000 students in K-12th grade. Applications for the 2016/2017 school year are now being accepted. For more information, visit www.hopeco-op.org or call 720-402-3000.