Xigrid Soto-Boykin

In 2022, Promesa Boyle Heights became one of the U.S. Department of Education’s new Full Service Community School grantees—one of forty-two nationwide. The $2.5-million grant supports Promesa Boyle Heights and its implementation of the Community Schools Model in each of its five schools in Boyle Heights. This commentary will offer a snapshot of a week at Promesa Boyle Heights and its community school model.

Me llamo Josefina. Sí, it was a requirement to select an alter-ego of sorts for my high-school Spanish class. I chose the name from a list of other common Spanish names, like María and José. Josefina had a good ring to it, and it followed me throughout my high school Spanish career, from freshman through junior year. I chose this name, but I was unconsciously confused and bothered. Jazmín, the direct Spanish equivalent of my true name, could have worked just fine.

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