Dr. Ishman Anderson was a student at Saint Vincent’s Day Home in the early 1990s. Today, he is a faculty lecturer with the Criminal Justice Studies department at San Francisco State University. Dr. Anderson is also the founder of the Oakland nonprofit My Other Brother (MOB).
The rose that grew from the concrete” (Tupac Shakur) is a symbol of perseverance and determination in the face of harsh circumstances and odds. I thank Saint Vincent’s Day Care for supporting me with love, validation, confidence, and affirmation of my uniqueness at my most impressionable stages of life at the age 2 through kindergarten. Positive reinforcement is critical at the early stages of life in order to ensure that the rose has what it needs to grow from the concrete. Thank you again for being that positive reinforcement for me from 1990-1994.
– Dr. Ishman Anderson, alumnus class of 1994