ALBUQUERQUE
Gabriela Dominguez wraps her arms around her cousins Adrian and Angel, encouraging them to study hard so they don’t end up on Albuquerque’s long list of dropouts.
The boys hug and kiss her back, even though she’ll be “on their case” this afternoon at Washington Middle School about homework and grades.
The two 13-year-olds look up to 17-year-old Dominguez, who not only is their cousin but their mentor in ENLACE Los Companeros, a corps of volunteers who tutor and support families and children in seven Albuquerque middle and high schools.
The program started nearly seven years ago in hopes of boosting high school graduation rates in areas where dropout rates historically have been high.
The first ENLACE class of 215 seniors is on track to graduate in May.
Through the work of tutors such as Dominguez, ENLACE has startling results to report: 97 percent of the original group of midschoolers are expected to receive diplomas from Albuquerque, West Mesa and Valley high schools.
