Harvard students get an education in Lawrence

Aspiring counselors at Notre Dame High are learning more about urban life

Guidance counselor intern and Harvard University graduate student Kati Butler of Dallas (left) converses with a student at Notre Dame High. (JOANNE RATHE/GLOBE STAFF)

Fifteen-year-old Aeesha Escribano may think there is "less drama" at her school than at others. But in a city like Lawrence, where close to 85 percent of the children are classified as economically disadvantaged and many speak Spanish at home, students at small, Catholic Notre Dame High could benefit from guidance in navigating the shoals of adolescence.

Now a new Harvard University program offers that help while providing graduate students with some practical experience in handling the demands of urban education.

Notre Dame has invited three interns from Harvard's School of Education to help with the high school's counseling programs. The interns are candidates for master's of education degrees with a focus on risk and prevention, and they help students cope with a variety of issues.

The goal, said Donna San Antonio, a Harvard education lecturer, is to prepare future counselors with hands-on field work in urban communities. But it's also to give a small school like Notre Dame assistance with students as they deal with the problem of urban life.

"The interns come into the schools with good hearts," said San Antonio, who grew up in Lawrence and attended the former St. Mary's High School, where Notre Dame now stands. "But nobody is fully prepared for what they will see."

Problems they will encounter, said San Antonio, include broken families, depression, or a death in the family.

Harvard student Maggie Chung said she was attracted to Notre Dame after meeting the staff. "I really enjoy working with inner-city kids," said Chung, who is also a licensed social worker. "I really wanted a stronger emphasis in education."

Notre Dame High School is a private college prep school that targets students from low-income families. Tuition runs about $2,200 a year, but most students get their education paid through scholarships, grants, and job-share internships. Students attend classes four days a week and work one day at a local job. Around 87 percent of the student body is Latino.

The three-year-old school is part of the Cristo Rey network, a national association of Catholic schools that provide college preparatory education in low-income urban areas.

Harvard students Miori Oka and Kati Butler said they knew that Notre Dame's student body would give them a chance to counsel urban students from immigrant backgrounds. That was something they both had sought when applying to the Harvard education program.

But working in Notre Dame puts interns' own experiences in perspective, Oka said.

"I'm just amazed because... I've had a lot given to me and still I complain a lot," said Oka, a former banker who grew up in Japan and the United States. "A lot of the kids go through so much more stuff than I do, and they still get through and cope with it. It's something that inspires me."

Butler, a former English as a second language teacher in Dallas, said the program is important because she is making the adjustment from teacher to counselor. She is also adjusting from teaching mainly Mexican-American students to counseling students from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

"It's completely different in some ways," said Butler. Many of her Mexican-American students came from families with rural backgrounds, while the Puerto Rican and Dominican students are from families who live in the city.

San Antonio said getting interns out of their comfort zone is important. When interns go into these schools, "they face their own barriers," said San Antonio.

Sister Mary Murphy, president of Notre Dame, said that Notre Dame as a start-up school has a tight budget. The partnership with Harvard benefits both the graduate students and Notre Dame. "These women are doing a fantastic job," Murphy said.

Michaela Barker, 15, is one of the Notre Dame students who regularly seeks advice from the Harvard students. She said that despite the interns coming from different backgrounds, the counselors understand where she's coming from. "Yes. Very well, actually," said Barker.

Barker speaks to Oka during lunch sometimes. During a recent talk, Oka counseled Barker on what she must do to tackle a particular problem. Barker said she is still working on it.

"I was supposed to do certain tasks. I haven't done them all," said Barker. Then she paused. "Eventually, I will. Hopefully. I have faith in myself."

Russell Contreras can be reached at rcontreras@globe.com