Getahun: Second Chances

Youth in School

City: Afula

Getahun is an 11th grader at ORT Afula participating in ENP's SPACE Program.He started off the school year in a high level bagrut class. In Israel, the bagrut exams are matriculation exams that eventually determine acceptance into university. In order to succeed in these exams, students must be placed in bagrut-level classes. As a result of his falling grades, Getahun’s school informed him that he needed to transfer to a lower level bagrut class. Getahun turned to his SPACE advisor and asked for help because he wanted to stay in the high level class. The SPACE advisor lauded Getahun’s tremendous motivation to stay in the higher level class. Together, Getahun and his advisor wrote a letter to the school, requesting to remain in the higher level bagrut class. The school agreed to give Getahun a second chance. In the end, the school’s attempt to move Getahun to the lower level class was really for the best and Getahun ended up transferring classes. All of this was done in coordination with Getahun’s SPACE advisors, who explained to him that his new class is really better suited to his needs and will enable his to excel.

In his new class, Getahun is able to keep up with his schoolwork. Getahun is now working closely with his SPACE teachers to improve and keep up his grades, specifically in math, so that he can graduate with a matriculation certificate, which is key to being accepted to university acceptance. Thanks to SPACE, Getahun had someone to turn to for help and did not get “lost in the system”. Getahun is now in the class that is best suited to his skills and needs that will ensure his graduating with a matriculation certificate.