The ghetto is historically not an environment that fosters smart individuals. “Generally speaking, boys, ethnic minority students, and students from poor families are more likely to become disengaged from school during adolescence,” (Steinberg, 2016, p. 162). The stereotype of the black man in the ghetto is largely associated with the stereotype of high scholars dropping off. LeAlan is not a part of this stereotype. He holds a much greater opinion of school. In fact he once saw a friend on the street selling drugs who hadn’t been to school in three weeks and said, “How you gonna be something If you don’t go to school” (Jones, Newman, & Isay, 1997, p. 43). This was a subtle way for LeAlan to state his opinion that school was important and that he believed everyone should graduate high school. …show more content…
Students with one mentor are much more likely to report being confident in school and a stronger want to finish. “One study of low-income black students found that students who fare best during the transition not only have parents who are involved in their education, but supportive teachers as well” (Steinberg, 2016, p. 163). Having support or a motivator can make the difference. This could have been a part of LeAlan’s motivation. When interviewing his mom, she said “we used to talk about your homework, we don’t do that anymore” (Jones, et al., 1997, p. 179). At the time of this quote LeAlan was going into college. It’s expected that by that level of education, you’re parents aren’t motivating you to complete your work