Mid-June a time for students, dads and lots of love

POWERFUL PAIR- When Damaris Polanco, left, graduated from college in Virginia, teacher Shauna Driggs traveled to meet her. Shauna Driggs of Oak Park kept her promise. Last month Driggs traveled to Virginia to attend the college graduation of her former sixth-grade student, Damaris Polanco.

The first person in her family to attend college, Polanco earned a bachelor's degree in communications and journalism from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Polanco credits Driggs with helping her overcome challenges and reach graduation day.

Polanco had been in Driggs' class a decade ago in Lennox, a low-income community near the Los Angeles airport where literacy levels often were low and half the students failed to even graduate from high school. Driggs said many children in the community were the sons and daughters of immigrants who dropped out of school to help support their families; others ended up in gangs or in jail.

Today, Polanco's father works as a bus driver and her mother cleans homes. The family had moved from Guatemala to Texas in 1989 and then to California in 1992 when Polanco was in third grade. In sixth grade, she began her long friendship with Driggs, whom she still calls Miss McGregor, despite Driggs' marriage years ago.

Dylan G. age 9 months "She paid more attention to us than other teachers I'd had," Polanco said. "I found in her a friend. I could talk to her about anything."

After the Polanco family left Southern California and moved to Virginia, Driggs and the daughter kept in touch by phone, talking at least once a month. When she arrived at George Mason, Polanco said Driggs continued to serve as a mentor.

"She told me a long time ago, before I even started, that she was going to be there," Polanco said.

And she was. But during her junior year Polanco nearly dropped out of college. Balancing several jobs, an internship and studies had become too much to bear. In tears, Polanco turned to Driggs.

"There were many times I was confused about what I wanted to do and how to go about it. My parents don't know much about college," she said.

Kyle G. age 10 Driggs was there for moral support, encouragement and advice, urging Polanco to stick to her plan and finish school. She even paid for the young woman's books.

"She was an angel sent from heaven," Polanco said.

Other side of the tracks

Driggs, on the other hand, grew up in San Marino, a wellto-do suburb of Pasadena and worlds away from Lennox.

"Lennox was the kind of place my mom would say, when we went to the airport, 'Don't get off here.'"

After graduating from UCLA with a master's degree in education, Driggs began working in Lennox. Driggs, who is bilingual in Spanish, didn't want the job at first. Her goal was to teach high school English, and she took the full-time position so she wouldn't have to work as a substitute elsewhere.

Five years later she was still teaching at Lennox and had taken on a new appreciation for the community.

Kirsten B. age 6 "It was a very positive place to work," Driggs said. "We really felt we were making a difference."

Teachers were encouraged to arrange activities with students outside of school. Driggs took her classes to basketball games and other events. She and another teacher raised enough money to take 10 students for one week to Washington, D.C., to learn about government.

"I remember feeling close to all my students. I wasn't married, so they were my kids," said Driggs, who now has four children of her own. "They were easy to love because they needed love."

Driggs finally left the Lennox job after she got married and moved to Boston.

In 2003, Driggs took another turn along the trail and was hired to teach in the Oak Park Unified School District, where she remains today.

Polanco, who would like to be a television news reporter, is now considering graduate school. She's encouraging her sister, a high school junior, to pursue college.

"If I look at my own culture people don't go to college if they don't have the opportunity," said Polanco, whose two brothers decided not to attend college. "My parents always told us you have to go to college to become somebody different- learn more and earn more. It feels good to know that I accomplished a goal I set for myself a long time ago."

Joseph F. age 5 "It was very inspiring to see her graduate," Driggs said. "We've become extremely close friends." Some have crooked smiles, Some have scruffy beards. Some wear suits, some wear swim trunks. But each dad is special to someone.

Brandyn S. ageCasey L. age 9 Johnny de H. age 3 Melanie L. age 8 Matthew L. age 4 Lauren L. age 7 Alexandra R. age 7 Shaina L. age 4 Andrew C. age 7 Lou P. age 5 Isabelle T. age 5 Kevin L. age 8 Taylor L. age 5 Max C. age 7 Grace Y. age 8 Kyle C. age 10 Sydney C. age 3 Brynna B. age 7 Sarah M. age 6 Amanda C. age 5 Emily C. age 8 Ethan K. age 4 Ken T. age 8 Madison P. age 4 Brianna & Tasha W. age 9&14 Lina age 6 Brittany T. age 11 Cameron A. ageAshley T. age 9 Tyler T. age 5 Sarah K. age 9 Ashley T. age 9 Jillian O. age 8 Megan R. age 5 Ashley L. age 9 Sierra L. age 7 Brittany L. age 11 Megan G. age 7 Christy S. age 8 Justin T. age 6 Emily A. age 6 Calabasas age 6 Jane Z Edden E Daniella F Brooke K. age Adam A Isabel D. age 6 Ethan T. age 6 Britney B. age 5 Brandon C. age 6 Blake A. age 6 Ben O. age 6 Annaliese T. age 6 Alexander R. age 6 Adam S. age 6 Will W. age 6 Skylar P. age 5 Shayan age 6 Seth A. age 5 Karima P. age 6 Kamran L. age 6 Joseph C. age 5 Jordan K. age 5 Isaiah S. age 5 Sarah age 11 Abby age 10 Ryan K. age 4 Morty V. age 6 Lucas L. age 6 Luca age 5 Jolie age 5 Jazy age 5 Jake A. age 6 Grace N. age 6 Frankie age 6 Ethaen D. age 5 David S. age 5 Connor F. age 6 Christian L. age 6 Alex L. age 6 Andrew age Sydney M. age 5 Simon K. age 6 Sean S. age 5 Donyoe S. age 6 Colby A. age 6 Cameron D. age 6 Billy C. age 6 Ava age 5 Alfredo D age 6 Sofia G age 6 Skylor A. age 5 Sindhu S. age 5 Jacob S. age 5 Sierra M. age 6 Nate K. age 6 Luke F. age 5 Kevin B. age 6 Justin E. age 5 Juliet C. age 6 Isabella G. age 5 Grace W. age 5 Gabriel M. age 6 Emily H. age 5 Christos K. age 6 Caitlyn D. age 5 Aaron S. age 5 Tucker P. age 6 Samatha M. age 6 Riley S. age 6 Oscar S. age 5 Madison P. age 6 Jaydenn S. age 6 Jack K. age 6 Harrison S. age 6 Erik K. age 6 Collin C. age 6