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At 13 years old, Joe Franco’s sense of security was snatched from him.

His father and mentor — also named Joe — was sent to prison.

Soon, the boy without his father “just gave up,” saving his head, joining a gang. His teen years were spent in and out of juvenile hall and ditching Foothill High classes to get high, eventually dropping out.

Leiza Mendez did the same, but from North High, after the birth of her daughter, Crystal.

And high school sweethearts, Jose Garcia and Margarita Lomas just thought school wasn’t the place for them, so they dropped out, too.

All of these young people, however, would eventually conclude that they needed to complete their education — and thanks to a Kern High School District program known as the Re-Entry Education Attainment Program (REAP), they’re all making steps toward a brighter future.

REAP is a federally-funded program within the Kern High School District. It was created to give high school dropouts between the ages of 15 and 18, a chance to get their high school diploma or GED, while learning employment skills and raise their self-esteem.

Students in the REAP program are given a quarterly monetary stipend and paid work experience, plus an opportunity to attend classes and workshops to help prepare them for the workforce.

REAP was started in 2000 to combat Kern County’s drop out rate and offer a support system to its students. According to California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Unit 4.3 percent of high school dropouts between the grades nine and 12 are Latino.

“Our program helps give them a reality check. Some of our students come from an unstable home and have personal problems,” said Karine Kanikkeberg from REAP. “Sometimes, we’re their only support system.”

Kanikkeberg said some students have come from abusive families or relationships, are currently battling a drug addiction or have one or more parent in jail.

 For Franco, the REAP program signified his second chance.

“I was going 90 miles per hour in the right direction before my father went to prison. Afterward, I went 190 miles per hour in the other direction,” said Franco. “I was doing drugs. I was a gang member doing drugs. My dad was my world.

“He went to prison, and I went to the street.”

Through his admitted drug abuse of an array of illegal substances and his constant arrests, Franco saw less and less of the classroom.

At 18, he was faced with the possibility of serving time in prison, but the case against him was dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Franco figured this as a sign to get his life and his education together, but he soon learned that the time he spent away from school had led to missing credits.

“It gets old after a while. I was tired of the way I looked,” said Franco, who has been drug-free for more than seven months. “In a year, I will be  getting my diploma. I had some credits, but not all of them because of the class time I missed.”

Currently, the 21-year-old has less than 64 credits to go before earning his GED. He’s a student in REAP through the KHSD, while also working at Superior Metal Frames.

Oh, and he has holds a “B” average.

Mendez, 16, dropped out of North High School after the birth of her daughter Crystal, 1.

Although she regrets leaving school, Mendez says independent study, where students are able attend school once a week to turn in a week’s or  more worth of class work and are tested on the material they studied, has helped her tremendously. 

“I have independent study. I go to class once a week and turn in all my homework,” said Mendez. “I work at Carla’s Drive-In, while my mother takes care of my baby. I think I can do it. One day, I want to be a cosmetologist or maybe go to college.”

Jose Garcia, 20, and Margarita Lomas, 18,  were high school sweethearts. They met at school and would sneak away from school to spend time together.

Lomas said school just didn’t appeal to her, nor her short attention span.

“I was just lazy. Of course, my parents were mad, but I just stayed in bed all day and go to school the next day,” said Garcia. “I just didn’t like interacting and participating in class activities.”

Both Garcia and Lomas are now are in the REAP program. They do the work at home and turn it once a week.

The pair said they’re trying to earn their GED for their two children Jose Jr., 2, and Elizabeth Marie, 1.

“I didn’t like going to school. I still don’t like going to school, but it’s easier for me now that I have independent study,” said Lomas. “No matter how hard the teachers tried to motivate me to learn while I was at West High School,I just wasn’t listening.”