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Frederick Alliance youth mentor enjoys helping kids, families Originally published June 21, 2009 By Nicholas C. Stern A smile spreads across Cinthia Raez's face as she anticipates a few of the activities she's planning for her students in this year's summer program at the Frederick Alliance for Youth. Trips to the pool at Baker Park, the lake at Cunningham Falls State Park, a cherry orchard, the Smithsonian in Washington are on the short list. Raez became an intensive mentor at the Frederick Alliance for Youth last September. After working for a year as a dental hygienist, she decided a change was in order. In 2004, she moved from Huancayo, Peru, to Boston to join her mother, who'd won a visa through the United States' diversity visa lottery. The first thing she did was enroll in an English class. Adapting to life in the United States was difficult, especially learning the language, but soon enough she was working three jobs and studying to be a dental hygienist. "As long as you stay positive and you really want to do something, you can do it," she said. In 2006, she moved to Frederick with her husband, who is in the military working at Fort Detrick. Raez has been taking business administration courses at Frederick Community College and hopes to transfer to either Hood College or the University of Maryland to continue her studies. Her work at the Frederick Alliance for Youth mostly consists of working with Hillcrest Elementary School students in an after-school program at the Hillcrest Community Center. Enrollment for the roughly 27 students is free. Much of the funding comes from the Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County, the Frederick Police Department's PAL program and the Ausherman Family Foundation, among others. Students are chosen based on their needs, Raez said. The after-school program offers help with homework, access to a computer lab, and courses in arts and crafts, health and life skills, problem solving and community responsibility, she said. On occasion, Raez said she meets with students in a one-on-one setting to see a movie or eat at a restaurant. Being a native Spanish speaker has helped her with her career in the United States, as about 70 percent of her students come from Spanish-speaking families, she said. Raez also passes along information to students' families about what's happening at school. In some cases, she translates documents. "I like working with the kids and helping the families," she said. |
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