By Michelle Azriel, May 6, 2020, Youth Today
ATLANTA — What started out as an idea scrawled on a fast food napkin 10 years ago has evolved into an after-school program for Georgia Hispanic students boasting a 100% high school graduation rate.
The Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPe) is the brainchild of David Araya and Angela Hurtado. They were both Georgia undocumented high school students who fought against stereotypes and were resolved to rise above it and succeed. In 2009, when the now-married couple attended college, they were determined to find a way to empower young Hispanic students.
They wrote down the word “HOPE” during a brainstorming session. A decade later, their organization has propelled more than 6,000 teens to graduate from high school. They currently have about 3,500 students in 60 Georgia high schools.
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