Unlikely friendship helps Dos Pueblos High School student succeed and graduate

A special friendship that blossomed between troubled Dos Pueblos High School student Nicholas Vera and two school groundskeepers came a time when Vera needed it the most.

The 17-year-old was getting into trouble going from probation to juvenile hall.

Vera was placed in the Bridges Program which is a partnership between the Santa Barbara Unified School District and the Department of Rehabilitation.

Vera was put to work on campus alongside the Flores brothers, Julio and Edson. Both men are groundskeepers.

“Our principal said, ‘Hey are you willing to help out take on a little bit more?’ I said yes,” said Julio Flores, the head groundskeeper at the high school.

In the beginning, the brothers had Vera pick up trash on campus. Then, they gave him a few more responsibilities and taught him all about landscaping. Vera worked after lunch, often staying extra hours and even coming in on Saturdays.

“I kind of grew up in the same environment as he grew up in. So, I can kind of relate to him,” said Edson Flores.

The brothers became mentors to Vera, whose father died last month.

“They helped me out a lot with my mentality, my attitude, how to treat things, how to be more disciplined, more productive,” said Vera.

“That was my main goal, for him to feel valued and to remind him of his self-equity,” said Julio Flores.

The brothers also checked in with Vera’s teachers to make sure he kept his grades up.

Both were proud when they were able to watch Vera walk across the stage at graduation and receive his diploma.

“My hopes are high for him. My hopes are high,” said Julio Flores.

Vera also credits his teachers, administrators, friends and family for helping him get through the rough times.

“I would like to say thanks to everybody that’s been around me,” Vera said. “It’s been a great ride.”

Vera also received the “Outstanding Senior in Special Subjects” award and the “Most Improved Student in Special Education” award.

Vera plans to attend Santa Barbara City College in the Fall and wants to study Mechanics and Landscaping.

He will also work with the Flores brothers over the summer.