Daisy Perez says her mom will never know how close she came to dropping out of high school. Math and English were a struggle, and so was U.S. History. Then came Civics. Perez worked for hours on her homework and earned all A’s. But the tests were impossible to understand, and she got D’s and F’s. She tried nearly everything to improve; she trained herself with flashcards, read books and wrote extra papers. In spite of her efforts, her teachers told her she was in danger of failing the class. Perez was terrified. She decided she would rather drop out of high school and join the military than risk not graduating with her peers. “My mindset was if I didn’t pass, I’d join the Army, and after that I’d get my GI Bill and then I would start my college classes,” she recalls. Then, a month into her senior year this fall, Puente staff connected Perez with Pat Watson. Watson is a longtime Puente volunteer who has years of experience as a K-12 tutor, as well as an aide and a special education teacher in the Menlo Park City School District. Perez has worked successfully with two other tutors as well, who helped her pass Math and U.S. History. Both tutors were supplied by Puente. Watson will never forget their … Continue reading Puente mentor and student become friends for life