As a child, Jason Cartagena had everything necessary to fail: the son of a single mother who depended on welfare, an absent father and living in a poor neighborhood where crime rates and other social problems abounded.
However, Cartagena has been for five years the proud principal of the sixth Icahn school in the city’s charter system.
“I share my struggles because I want [my students] know that things can be very difficult,” he said. “Sometimes you may have limited resources, but that should not prevent you from reaching a goal.”
His mother, a Dominican immigrant, was convinced that the only way her two children could get out of poverty was to study, so she did everything possible for them to attend a Catholic school. And she made it. Both Cartagena and his brother studied from kindergarten to grade 12 in a private institution.
But Cartagena does not believe that in order to have quality education is necessary to go to a private school. And that is what he is trying to demonstrate on the campus where he is the director. Since his arrival, he has incorporated music and dance programs, and has also fostered the creation of spaces for students to make themselves heard and be validated.
The demographics of the school he leads is 51 percent African-American children, 46 percent Latino and 2 percent Asian.
“As principal, I want to make sure my students receive the best education,” he said. “I want them to take responsibility for their education and to be aware of their power.”
The goal of the educator, who is 38 years old, is Have your school awarded the Blue Ribbon, an annual award from the Department of Education that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools. One of the seven Icahn schools has earned this recognition twice, and that gives Cartagena hope and motivation.
It will surely be a matter of time, since his dedication and focus are the characteristics that have guided his life.
“It is important to be focused and motivated”, he said. “Having that mentality saved me and made me who I am.”