April 23rd Inquiry Update

By Jorge Luis Aguilar Cruz

April 23^rd marked the end for the interviews for our Positive Deviance Semester Inquiry. At this point I have interviewed 5 brave and more than willing youngsters that all perfectly the screening criteria before being interviewed. Once again, not to give much away or sound repetitive, my semester Positive Deviance Inquiry is based in Segundo Barrio, with high school students that fit a criteria, the criteria concerns their personal behavior in and out school, activities involved in at school, work, if involved in risky behavior, etc. In addition, their socio economic standing, and household make up were factors on whether the participants qualified to be interviewed.

            Insights gained from the interviews thus far, is that some of the participants have participated in past UTEP studies, this lead to a very interesting part of the process. Since some of the participants had taken part in past UTEP studies, they knew very well that “incentives or rewards,” were offered for their participation in previous studies. With a lot of humor one of the participants asked, “sooooo am I going to get a gift card or something.” I replied, “Sure, is there anything else you might want?” The participant responded, “ Well, I always hear you talk about Cheddar’s and how awesome it is, can you take me to eat there, I’ve never been.” I said, “Yes, I will take you, but you have to give me your all in the interview and convince your Ma not beat me up okay.” The participant responded with huge laugh. Moreover, the participant proceeded to tell the other participants that I was offering incentives for their participation, now I have to give the rest of the participants a “a little something.”

            In closing, this  Positive Deviance inquiry has allowed me to get to know local students at a more deeper level, with their responses I will do my best to put forth an inquiry response that is worthy of these young men and women’s character.  The inquiry also helped me build bridges with parents, local officials, and mentors in the community, not always do the mentors have to be figure heads in the local area, but in this case, the mentors include people such as, “Enrique The Old Gangster,” the janitor, and many other people, all of which will be gone through more thoroughly in the final inquiry paper and presentation.