From Student to Parent: The Legacy of LEAD Southeast
When LEAD Southeast Elementary School opened its doors last year, it marked more than the beginning of a new school, it represented the next chapter in a legacy LEAD Public Schools has spent years building. The opening of LEAD Southeast Elementary created an opportunity for families to experience a full K–12 education within the LEAD network. For many families, that connection is already taking shape and stretching across generations.
For one LEAD Public Schools graduate, enrolling her son in kindergarten at LEAD Southeast Elementary felt like bringing her own school experience full circle. Edaitza Heredia, a LEAD Southeast High School alumna, first heard about the new elementary school from a friend who was enrolling her own child and thought it would be the perfect place to enroll her son, Ian. “I felt so excited because I thought I would recognize some of the staff members,” Heredia said. “I want him to have a similar school experience as I had.”
Her decision was rooted in the experience she had as a LEAD student, especially as she was learning English. She remembers educators who took the time to make sure she felt supported academically and personally, citing the patience and kindness she was treated with. One teacher in particular, Ms. Rushman, remains part of that memory. “She was the one who taught me English, and she had a lot of patience with me, she worked so hard and always made sure I was practicing,” Heredia said.
That care extended beyond one classroom. She also remembers a math teacher who consistently checked on her grades and made sure she was progressing. Those relationships shaped the way she viewed LEAD, and eventually influenced choosing LEAD for her own child’s education. Now, Heredia is experiencing LEAD from a different perspective: as a parent.
“My favorite part of Ian attending LEAD is that he loves school,” she said. “He comes here and wants to work and learn. He really enjoys being here.” She is especially excited to watch him learn English in a place where she knows firsthand that teachers will support him along the way.
For LEAD Southeast Elementary, stories like Heredia’s demonstrate the deeper purpose behind expanding the network’s K–12 pathway. A school community is built not only through classrooms and curriculum, but through relationships and life skills that last long after a student graduates.
