nadia lopez bounding principle of the academy committed to creating an environment where students staff work together it tells her story can the school from her own middle school days to her efforts for her own students to find a place of caring and support. [applause] >> good evening thanks for having me. i should start off by explaining why i wrote the book in the first place and really came down that it was about the community that i served in brooklyn. i may brooklyn girl and i am proud of was born and raised . bet growing up by had to deal with gangs and the crack era. and my parents separating, but i was able to succeed literally because my parents prior to separating had come from guatemala and honduras we believe in the power of education. when they come to this country was not with lock they met each other on the dance floor in the bronx. once i came to the world my mother felt the only thing she could provide for me was a solid education. in new york city weir's owned by districts so my mom was clever and decided the district we lived in would not provide me with an excellent