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“I cried a lot, but it taught me that you can’t take things for granted,” says Broussard, who is now a senior preparing to graduate from Lake Highlands High School.

Then in 2005, Broussard who grew up in New Orleans lost his home when Hurricane Katrina hit. Along with his eight-monthspregnant mom and stepfather, Broussard evacuated his home the day before the storm.

“Our house was flooded, and we lost everything. My stepdad drove us out of the city. We stayed with his sister until we found an apartment in Lake Highlands.”

Looking back, Broussard says, being uprooted was a blessing in disguise. The New Orleans he knew was crimeridden, he says.

“My mom had taught me to stay out of trouble and focus on grades.” The message carried on when he moved to

Dallas, he says.

Once he landed in RISD, he was able to enroll in Advanced Placement classes and, eventually, the AVID program, which helps students prepare for college.

He was pleased to find that, unlike many of his former New Orleans classmates, students in his new classes took school seriously.

His family mom Shannon Broussard Martin and stepfather Adrian Martin — as well as his “AVID family”, he says, helped him during tough times.

“It hasn’t always been easy. I got a lot of support at school, and my stepfather has been a great father figure. He taught me to be a man.”

AVID coordinator Corrie Myers taught Broussard in eighth grade.

“Like so many of the young people who came here following Katrina, he had a difficult time assimilating. AVID is there for the students who are selfmotivated and who are willing to do what it takes to progress and be successful socially and academically,” she says.

As soon as he arrived in Dallas, Broussard also latched onto sports. He played basketball in junior high and ran track and played football in high school.

“Coach Haynes (Brindley) stayed on me a lot,” he says with a grin. “He demanded that I keep my grades up.”

On the football team, Broussard played cornerback and made all-district his senior year.

In his habit of making the most of every opportunity, he plans to get a head start on college this summer at the University of North Texas, where he says he might study journalism.

His father would be proud of him, he says, and he’s excited to share graduation day with his mom and stepdad, 10-year-old brother Jarek, and 5-yearold sister Jyrah.

“Some of my family from New Orleans will [attend my graduation] too,” he says. “I can’t wait.”

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What can I do to make sure my air conditioner operates at top efficiency during the hot summer months?

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When they moved to the U.S. it would have been too difficult to bring her along at the time.

She accepted the situation for a while, but when she was 13, she realized she was missing something.

“My mom had a baby. I already had one sister I didn’t know, and I wanted to know my new sister. My parents sent me money and photos, but I was sad. I wanted to grow up with my sisters. One day, I just told them I had to come.”

Once she arrived in the U.S., things became scary, she says. She enrolled at Forest Meadow Junior High, a school with a population of about 600 students, without knowing a word of English.

“It was so hard. I didn’t know anyone. I really wanted to quit. But, look, I’m still here,” she says and sits up a little straighter.

She worked tirelessly to learn the language. She studied English magazines, looking up words one-by-one in the dictionary. In her RISD English as a Second Language classes she met others who were struggling and teachers who genuinely wanted to help.

“The teachers were so patient,” she says. “They tried to get to know me — I want to thank them.”

In high school, her 11th grade English teacher, Corrie Myers, helped her continue to build her confidence and prompted her to think about college.

“College hadn’t even crossed my mind. I had no idea how to do anything toward going to college, but Miss Myers and AVID showed me.”

Myers, coordinator of AVID, says she can’t take credit for Figuero’s success.

AVID is like a family, Meyers says, and the students help and support one another.

Myers says she was impressed with Figuero’s willingness to learn.

WHAT IS AVID?

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination — offered to Richardson ISD students as early as fourth grade, the program prepares young people, albeit only those who are willing to work hard, for college. AVID is open to all students, but most often AVID members will be the first in their families to attend college, and many are from low-income or minority families, says Carrie Myers, the AVID coordinator at Lake Highlands High School. “AVID pulls these students out of their unchallenging courses and puts them on the college track.” Myers doesn’t hunt down students or push the program. “We have information meetings, and the most determined students will find me.” Once you are in AVID, you are part of a family, Myers says. “Some of these kids treat me like a mother, she says, noting that “Momma Myers” is her alias around school.

“Her English that first year grew by leaps and bounds. It was impressive that she learned so fast,” Myers says. “Some of the ESL students I meet want so badly to be here. They are so grateful for the opportunity to have what we have that they work very hard for it. That was Cindi — hardworking and eager.”

Figuero joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and is working toward becoming an American citizen.

“I have a document that allows me to legally attend school as long as I am working toward my citizenship; I am in the process of becoming a citizen.”

As for her sisters, they are glad to have her home.

“It was worth the struggle,” Figuero says. “My sisters, especially Fatima, who is 9 (years old) now — she introduces me to her friends — seem so happy that I am here.”

Figuero wants to be a nurse.

“I like to help people. When I was a little girl, I always used to pretend to be a nurse.” She plans to attend El Centro college for two years and then transfer to a four-year school.

For now, she’s grateful her journey will include walking across the stage at graduation.

“I went to last year’s graduation, and I just can’t describe the feeling that the idea of walking across that stage with my friends gives me.”