We Are Lawrence

We owe so much to the beautiful city of Lawrence, MA. It’s home to all of our students, and our wonderful school that for 20 years has cradled, nurtured, and protected the dreams of over 250 girls and their families. One of the most beautiful aspects of our school is that it reflects the values and traditions that for so long have been interwoven in the DNA of our wonderful city.

While Esperanza has been creating a space where our girls are free to dream, it’s important to remember that this is the legacy of Lawrence; a former industrial city that has always been an immigrant city. And that history is very much alive today.

• Drive to the corner of Common and Newbury Street and you will see the legacy of the Italians who called Lawrence home through the Italian bakeries that for decades have been staples in our community.

• Drive to the corner of Haverhill and Franklin streets and you will see the first church erected by French Canadian immigrants who called Lawrence home.

• Drive by the mills and know that the industrial workers from Ireland and Germany who left their countries for greater opportunities also called Lawrence home.

• Drive by 141 Essex Street and see the building that held one of the finest men’s clothing stores of the 20th century, which was owned and run for 90 years by Jewish Immigrants who called Lawrence home.

• Drive by Avon and Trinity streets and see Holy Trinity Church which was created by the Polish immigrants of this city who called Lawrence home.

The vibrant City of Lawrence is shaped by generations of immigrant families who come here to work, build community, and create opportunity for their children. Today, more than four out of five residents identify as LatinX, and the city is home to one of the largest Dominican communities in New England, alongside significant Puerto Rican and Central American populations.

Our students reflect this rich cultural landscape: most speak more than one language, and many are the daughters of recent immigrants building new lives here. Families bring extraordinary reserves of resilience, creativity, and cultural wealth to our school community, and our program honors and amplifies those strengths. Our faculty and staff, many of whom are leaders of color, Spanish-speaking, and from Lawrence or similar communities, help ensure that students see their identities and cultures reflected, respected, and celebrated.