By Pilar Padilla
Director, Marketing & Communications
June 25, 2025
On June 6, 2025, Para Los Niños Charter Middle School celebrated this year’s 8th grade culmination. It is always a time of great pride for our educators who have seen our scholars work so hard to achieve their goals and wish them well as they set off to high school, one step closer to making their dreams a reality.
This year was particularly special because it marked the first year that PLN recognized Legacy Scholars—students who attended a PLN early education center, Charter Elementary School and Charter Middle School. For some of our scholars, Para Los Niños has been a part of their lives since infancy. “Some of you were held in the arms of educators very, very early—as early as six weeks old. That’s when you started your journey with Para Los Niños,” said Norma Silva, founding principal of PLN Charter Elementary School to our graduating 8th graders. Dozens of 8th graders were honored in a special ceremony recognizing them as Legacy Scholars by draping golden stoles over their shoulders.
Data show that PLN Charter Middle School students who have been with PLN since Early Head Start achieve higher scores in academics than students who have not had the same consistent support. This continuum of care provides stability for our families, not only an opportunity to access more of the services PLN has to offer—mental health care, ESL classes for parents, support with housing navigation—but also an opportunity to build community among other parents as well as our highly-qualified and compassionate PLN staff.
This year’s 8th grade Valedictorian and Legacy Scholar, Alejandra Barrera, earned and maintained a 4.0 GPA all three years at PLN Charter Middle School, but “what makes her shine even more is her kindness, her thoughtfulness and her generous spirit… a bright light in our community and an inspiration to us all,” said CMS English teacher Alexis Alexander.
“My educational journey with Para Los Niños began when I was four years old, and I have been fortunate to receive my entire education within this community,” said Alejandra in her speech to her classmates and their families, “From the beginning, I valued the trust and connect[ion] with my teachers and classmates. Throughout my years here, the PLN community has inspired me to strive for excellence, an invaluable lesson I will always carry with me.”
At PLN, relationships matter. School staff maintain connections with families for years after their children graduate from our Charter Middle School. Scholars often come back to volunteer at events like our annual Las Posadas, and some even create service projects with classmates, brining students from different backgrounds to experience the Para Los Niños community. Parents and students alike continue to access resources and refer other families to our schools and services.
We’re so fortunate to have been able to walk alongside so many PLN families whose tenacity insists that their children have access to more opportunities than they did. Though today we honor our Legacy Scholars, no matter when a family begins their journey with us, they are brought into a legacy of deeply rooted care, trust and excellence. We thank all of our parents for entrusting us with their most precious belonging: their children.
