A Message from the Board of Directors

Thank you for your interest and support of our Esperanza Girls-they are truly Girls of Hope!! I have been thinking of what to say in this letter and in typical fashion, I was inspired on the elliptical machine.

Social entrepreneurial leader Juana Bordas, runners Robert Cheruiyot and Lidiya Grigoryeva, Oprah, Bill and Melinda Gates, human rights and energy conservation leader Wangari Maathai, the 2006-2007 Rutgers Women’s basketball team, the 2004 Boston Red Sox and our Esperanza girls-what do they all have in common ?

They are all winners!

How do you become a winner? Winners are not born; they are made through hard work, usually starting at an early age.

Rarely do you see a winner start their march toward greatness in their 20’s or even high school. The seeds of winners, not the winning ribbons, start germinating early in one’s life.

To win, you must struggle and overcome adversity often against great odds. Part of being a winner is knowing what it is like to get rejected, to constantly make adjustments and corrections, to get knocked down but always have the desire to get up again and again and give it your best-those are experiences of being a winner!

It is rare to win without coaches, parents and friends who teach and support. Often this includes providing more than encouragement, but also time and other resources — whether computers for early testing and experimentation, musical instruments for a budding musician or athletic equipment for the AAU stars.

While the same types of resources may not be required for the Kenyan runners training at 8,000 feet often in bare feet, they still have great coaches, trainers, family and friends providing support. In this increasingly complex world, our Esperanza girls need more than track shoes. With resources abundant for most in the United States and north suburban Boston in particular, they live in a community struggling to meet their every day needs. Their families often must choose between food, rent or clothes. Yet every day, they are at Esperanza, in their bright uniforms ready and happy to learn. Their parents are there as well, partners in the educational process working in the kitchen, office or wherever needed giving what they have, their time and talents to help build this great school. These girls and their families are winners!

The Esperanza girls have the drive to win, they challenge themselves and are challenged by their engaging teachers every day yet even as they sometimes struggle, they make progress. They now have hope that they will reach their dreams whether as a pediatrician, author or teacher. I know we will have at least one part time singer as well!

And these Esperanza girls have made progress!

Each one of our girls in 7 intensive months has shown great progress-academically, socially and as members of their Lawrence and wider communities. These results are due to our Esperanza girls working very hard and due to a talented and dedicated group of faculty, administrators and dynamic group of volunteers with the best Head of School around, Laurie Bottiger! They are all winners!

It will take over one million dollars to run our school next year when we will have 62 girls. The Esperanza girls need more resources, not fewer. As you can see they are working hard, growing in so many positive ways and helping to break the cycle of poverty through education.

As many of you know, we are a tuition free school and receive 99% of our funding privately. To continue on our path to success for these girls, to keep our winning streak, to nurture and coach these Winners and attract and inspire new Esperanza winners, we need your help!

Please consider making an investment in our girls. There is no doubt that it costs more to have only 10 in a classroom, an 11 hour day and 3 meals a day, but look at the dividends. These girls are the future leaders of our community! Where else can you see such a great return on your investment right down the street? You are helping to transform girls' lives and the lives of their families and to strengthen the Lawrence community.

Thank you for your interest in the Esperanza girls. They are winners!

I am so proud to be part of the winning Esperanza team!

Tom Maher - Board Chair