A steady home life, a space to do homework, guidance and experience to draw from. While these things seem fundamental in the success of a student, not every student has the same home life. Interruptions can impede progress, and students can quickly fall behind their peers.
Fremont High students Jisaiah Ybarra and his younger brother Jedidiah had a hard time staying on top of things in school while their mother was battling a drug addiction back home. While she would cook for them and care for them, she often spent her time locked in her room, talking to her sons through the closed door.
The teens moved back and forth between Sunnyvale, San Jose and Fresno, and were in 10 different schools over the span of five years. Their older brother, Josh, also had a troubled past, getting into fights and drifting in and out of gang life. They fell behind in their academics and felt they would never be able to catch up.
Daniel and Bonnie McCune, both special education teachers at Fremont High School, say they understand from their personal experience how important it is for teachers to understand each of their students’ individual situations. The McCunes have taken that personal understanding to a new level by opening their home to the teens and offering their assistance.
“Bonnie and I understand from our upbringing and failures in school how important it is to understand our students’ situation,” said Daniel McCune.
Knowing that the Ybarras did not have a stable home life, the McCunes opened up their three-bedroom, one-bathroom home to the Ybarras, who moved in while Bonnie was pregnant with her daughter.
“If students received the guidance they need not only from their school but from the community, they could do so much more,” Bonnie said. “Oftentimes, students feel like no one notices them; they feel invisible. No kid should feel like that.”
Living in an affluent area and in a high-performing school district does not mean everyone gets the most out of their education, Bonnie added. Bonnie dropped out of high school and Daniel struggled with an expulsion before returning to graduate from Fremont.
“I didn’t have adults to help me out; I was on my own since 16,” Bonnie said. “It was a long, hard road to get to where we are today. That’s why it’s become our mission to be those adults that we never had growing up.”
By personally reaching out, the two teachers have given the brothers the extra support they needed to go from being on academic probation to the honor roll and from near strangers to now a part of their family.
When asked what it was like to move in with teachers from his school, Jisaiah said it was “different.”
“I was iffy about it, but at the same time I knew it was an opportunity,” Jisaiah said. “They opened up their home to me, and I am forever thankful for that.”
Ever since Jisaiah and Jedidiah moved in the fall of last year, there has been no such thing as a typical day in the McCune household. Every day is filled with nonstop activity, from football and wrestling to studying for tests and tutoring sessions.
Jisaiah has also been busy picking up any courses he can for additional credits to graduate from Fremont High. Even with the hectic schedules, the teens join the McCunes at the end of the day to gather around the dinner table for a shared meal.
The Ybarra brothers typically spend the school week with the McCunes working on their homework. Now that their mother has been sober for more than a year, they spend the weekends with her. She even has attended their football games and wrestling matches.
“It’s been nice really getting to know her and spend more time with her,” Jisaiah said.
Thanks to the additional support, Jisaiah made the honor roll for the first time in his academic career last year, and he is on track this year to be the first in his family to graduate from high school.
“They are all about helping kids and giving them a chance,” Jisaiah said of the McCunes. “It’s never too late to start over. Just know what you want in life and try to reach for it. Tell yourself that you can do it.”
Jisaiah hopes once he graduates that he can continue football and wrestling. He was featured in two Cal-Hi Sports segments earlier this year. He finished the wrestling season by winning his league, and also helped the Fremont High team win its league. He made it to the second day of the Central Coast Section tournament with Fremont, which finished third as a team.
Whether athletic or academic, both Jisaiah, 18, and Jedidiah, 15, know they can count on the McCunes for support, not only as mentors but as friends. So does their older brother Josh, who came back to visit the family in January after having moved out of the area.
“They’re just awesome people,” said Josh, who is now working on getting his GED.
“They’re just real good kids,” said Bonnie in return. “It’s really a pleasure for us. How cool to witness them realize their own potential?”
