Jeremias Rodriguez made his first trip to the Morgan Hill teen
center nearly a year ago, and his life has not been the same.
Jeremias Rodriguez made his first trip to the Morgan Hill teen center nearly a year ago, and his life has not been the same.
Once a quiet kid with hazy plans for the future, Rodriguez, 16, now is outspoken – and not shy about his hope of attending college after he graduates from Central High School.
“I socialize a lot more,” the Morgan Hill native said. “I started doing that after I started coming here. I’m not bored anymore either. I’m more focused in class. I’m not sure yet if I want to go to college, but that sounds like a good plan for me.”
At the time he started going to the teen center after school, Rodriguez wasn’t thinking ahead.
“I just wanted to hang out with my friends; play some pool, you know? I used to just stay at home,” he said. “I heard about this place through my friends. They used to tell me about it all the time – ‘Come over! Come play Xbox.’ I come here almost every day now. The best part about it is just hanging out with everyone.”
Rodriguez’s 15-year-old sister, Isela, tags along. They use the center’s computers for studying.
“He’s a good one,” Mary Lopez, a teen specialist, said. “The other kids here have had a positive impact on him.”
Rodriguez agreed.
“The staff and the people here have encouraged me to do my best,” he said. “When I started coming here, the kids and the staff were talking about college and the future. It got me excited.”
Roughly 40 percent of the kids who visit the teen center come from single-parent families, Lopez said. About 30 percent live in economically disadvantaged homes.
“They all come from different backgrounds, but they’re all at that age when you start to figure out who you are,” Lopez said.
Rodriguez is hoping more and more kids come to the center, which is open Monday through Saturday.
“I tell everyone about this place just like my friends told me,” he said. “I tell them it’s fun. It’s a safe place to go and just have fun, study and stay out of trouble.”
Word is clearly traveling fast. The center’s attendance rate has only increased since the place opened three years ago, leading Lopez to believe it deserves more funding from the community. The teen center’s annual budget is $12,000.
“The staff here is doing all we can to influence Morgan Hill’s youth in a positive way, and I’m hoping others can do the same,” she said. “Each community is a team. We win or lose together.
“I’m surprised already with the number of kids pouring in. I’m hoping more and more will come from other communities.”
Rodriguez mulled what extra funding could do.
“We could always use more,” he said. “We could go on more field trips and have more space. We could even start up some sports teams. That would be pretty cool. With all the kids here, we could have our own league.”
