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SALT LAKE CITY -- The teachers and staff at Granite Park Junior High School have made learning about much more than textbooks. Every day, they work to help the diverse student body succeed.
The majority of the student body are minorities, many of whom are refugees from countries like Nepal, Burma, Iraq and Congo.
"This year we have 36 different languages represented in our student body," said Principal Taran Chun.
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In 2004, the school saw an explosion of growth in one specific demographic: refugees.
"A lot of these students and families are seeking political asylum," Chun said.
Fourteen-year-old Grace and her cousin Ariel are two of these students. The girls are from Congo and came to Utah after both of their mothers were murdered. They are now being raised by their 21-year-old uncle.
"I don't know how they deal with it," said Carrie Pender, Refugee family outreach specialist for the Granite School District. "I hear those stories and I just want to break down and cry and make it better for them."
Pender says most of the students are stepping into a school for the first time.
At each parent-teacher conference, the staff holds a clothing drive and allows parents to take whatever they need. They are always looking for help. If you're interested in donating, call Granite Park Junior High at (385) 646-5174.
"Refugees are survivors or they wouldn't be here," she said. "They're the best of the best, and they're the ones that survived those horrendous crimes."
While many kids their age hate school, these students are hungry for it.
"It's like learning new things every day," one young student told KSL.
And, adds 14-year-old Ammar, "School is cool."
"We want to do everything we can to provide experiences for students to help them dream and say, ‘Wow, you know what, I want to become that one day,'" Chun said.
The number one goal of the staff at Granite Park is to teach these kids to dream big -- that includes going to college.
Grace is already on track. She said she wants to go to college "because I can save my life. I want a good job. I bring respect to my family and my country."
When asked what they wanted to be when they grow up, every one of the students told KSL they wanted to be a doctor.
For now, their future begins in the classroom and in the walls of Granite Park Junior High.
Email: jstagg@ksl.com
