Migrant students overcome
obstacles to success
The 156 students featured in this year’s Washington State Exemplary Migrant Students Yearbook for 2005-2006 faced the same obstacles that most migrant students face. But these students demonstrated that such problems as limited English skills, migrating to a new country, transitioning frequently from one school to another, family challenges, and working before and after school can all be overcome.
In addition, the work of award-winning high school artists was used to illustrate the book, which is circulated among the public schools, legislators, city officials and the media.
“Even though these students have migrated from school to school, they have found ways to engage in their communities and participate in school and community activities,” says Dr. Jane M. Gutting, Superintendent of the Educational Service District 105 in Yakima, which publishes the statewide yearbook with funding from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
“With a lot of support from their families and the help of dedicated, hard-working teachers, our migrant students have overcome many obstacles. They have stayed focused on their class work and leadership goals and have become future leaders. We celebrate the persistence and success of these wonderful students.”
The student profiles in the book include personal statements on their long-term goals, obstacles they have overcome, leadership skills they have contributed, community and school involvement activities, and talents they have shared with others.
A photo design by Caroline Kelly, a sophomore at Columbia High School in White Salmon, was selected to illustrate the cover. Her combination of digital photography and Adobe Photoshop presents a representation of the process of learning and experiencing Spanish and English, the primary obstacle that many migrant students work to overcome. Her subject in the photo is Roberto Rodriguez, an exchange student form Mexico who attended Columbia High School during the 2005-2006 school year.
The cover art contest was open to all high school students whose schools are served by the three Migrant Education Regional Offices (MEROs) at ESD 105, ESD 171 and ESD 189. There were 25 submissions for this year’s cover, with the runners-up from each region serving as divider page art for the yearbook.
Runners-up in the art contest were:
- Paul Parraga, an 11th grade student from A.C. Davis High School in the Yakima School District, who submitted a pencil drawing titled “My Dad.”
- Arturo Gil, a 9th grade student from Chelan Preparatory High School in the Lake Chelan School District, who submitted a pencil drawing titled “Work, Study, Diploma, Better Life.”
- Adrian Matosich, a 12th grade student from Columbia High School in the White Salmon Valley School District, who submitted a digital photo design titled “Circle of Hands.”
Following are some of the graduating seniors featured in the 2005-06 yearbook:
Alan Avila (3.70 GPA, East Valley High School) works hard so his younger brother and sister may have an easier life.
“I wish
to accomplish as much as I can so I can make a firm foundation for my brother
and sister. I want them to achieve more than I have,” he says. “Hopefully, I am
a good representation of a migrant. I want to fulfill the dreams I had as a
little boy. I have always wanted to build something that will last a long time.
Most importantly, I want to make my family proud and also motivate other
Hispanics to live their dreams.”
Alan also enjoys volunteering for community service.
“We are raising money for the children who have long-term health issues, both mental and physical disabilities, so they will have another chance in life,” he says. He also works with other volunteers to host an Easter party to raise money and food for the needy in Yakima Valley. During Christmas time his group sponsored 10 children to give them a Christmas they never had before.
“All I want to do is to make a difference, (an) impact on people’s lives,” Avila says.
Abigail Martinez-Lopez (3.79 GPA, Mount Vernon High School) is not afraid of challenges. She has only been speaking English for four years but still achieved nearly a straight-A average in school.
“There is a time when everyone faces a big challenge,” she says. “In my experience I have faced many obstacles and had to overcome them. One of them is learning English because it’s not my native language.”
Now Abigail is ready to take on the challenges of a university education.
“Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a physician,” she says. “In life nothing is easy, but if you set your mind to reaching a goal, you will make it. It takes a lot of time and hard work, but all the work will pay off at last.”
Shaun Peterson (3.86 GPA, Ilwaco High School) plans on attending Humboldt State University and becoming a surgical nurse.
“I want to join Doctors Without Borders and provide medical care to people living in impoverished countries,” Shaun says.
Adrian Munguia (3.38 GPA,
Highland High School)
would like
to attend a technical college and become a mechanic. “I would like to help my
parents with their bills,” he says.
His family has faced more challenges than most.
“In 1995 my mom had to leave four of her children in Mexico because one of my sisters had cancer. In the U.S. they have better technology that gave us hope. It was really hard for my mom to be so far from her other children, but she knew she was doing the right thing, trying to help her daughter. In 1998, my sister died after three years of suffering all the pain. That same year, the rest of my brothers and I got into the U.S. It was really hard at the beginning because we didn’t know English and had no friends that could help us with the homework.”
Angela Chavez (3.67 GPA, Pasco High School) hopes to attend Washington State University in Pullman. “At WSU I hope to study about the deaf community and learn more about deaf people,” she says. “Because I have two deaf sisters, I needed to learn American Sign Language at the same time I had to learn English.”
“The decisions we are making right now will have a huge impact on how the rest of our life turns out. Therefore, we have to think about working harder, getting educated,” says Roberto Chavarria (3.32 GPA, Pasco High School).
“There are a lot of obstacles, not only for me, but for everyone. Most people struggle with economic problems. I think about my insurance, rent, phone, high gas prices, ‘girlfriend,’ and my parents getting older. I don’t know how I’m going to college.”
Roberto is interested in “flying big airplanes,” but he also enjoys working on his car, agriculture and construction. He thinks he wants to become an architect or a contractor.
Leticia
Rubalcava (3.31
GPA, Wahluke High
School)
had to overcome more challenges than most. “I suffered through head injuries in
my junior year. I was hospitalized, and the doctor said I was lucky to be
alive. I wasn’t able to play any sports for the rest of the year, which was my
motivation for getting good grades. This helped me to be patient in life.”
Leticia plans to attend Spokane Falls Community College for two years where she has signed her letter of intent to play soccer.
“I am very interested in physical therapy and athletic training, so I am looking forward to transferring to a university once I have completed my two years. I plan to come back to my community and help my town grow stronger with education,” she says.
Alejandro Magana (3.80 GPA, Pasco High School) says, “Since my family came to this country from Mexico just five years ago, my parents’ goal has always been to get my brothers and me through school successfully and provide us with all the opportunities this great country offers, which they never had. It has always been my ambition to become an engineer in computer effects.
"I know the way towards that goal is to take computer classes relating to my career. That is why I have taken CD-ROM, which involves the use of web design software. I have also taken 3-D animation, and I am currently taking advanced 3-D animation, where I create animated three-dimensional scenes. To enhance my computer applications, I plan to do my senior project using 3-D animation to make a movie clip. After I graduate from high school, I will be attending Columbia Basin College for two years, then transfer to a four-year college.”
Erica Patino (3.55 GPA, Walla Walla High School) says: “As many young Latino children do, I grew up in a home where the primary language was Spanish. Many times during the beginning of my education I had trouble understanding what was asked of me or instructions told by the teacher. I can but give thanks to programs like ESL that helped me become fluent in English. It was a long process of many years, and I am proud to say that language is no longer an obstacle or barrier that stands in my way.
“I believe education is the way to success, not only economically but culturally,” she says. “I wish to work in a field in which the main goal is to help society and create social awareness. In the future I would like give back to the community with money, time, and dedication just as the community has invested in me.”
Marilu Cruz
(3.99 GPA, Wapato High School) says her long-term goals are include attending
Washington State University (WSU) and pursuing her dream degree.
“I love math and science, so I want to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. After receiving my doctorate degree in engineering, I want to work for the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA),” she says. “While working for NASA I plan to become the first person to ever go to Mars and discover live organisms that would contribute to the advancement of the search for extraterrestrial life.
“An obstacle I had to overcome was when I moved to the U.S. to start sixth grade at a new school without speaking a word in English. This meant I had to learn English by taking ESL classes all three years of middle school. Not knowing English was a barrier for me because it prevented me from taking the most challenging classes,” she says.
Jairo Villanueva (3.63 GPA, Pasco High School) wants to go to CBC, then to University of Washington.
“I have gotten straight A’s in math for as long as I can remember, so I decided I wanted to become a math teacher. I hope to teach at the secondary level, probably high school,” he says. “Currently on my only day off work, I volunteer to tutor math students who are failing. I’ve been doing this for about four months. These are students who don’t speak English so it’s special to me that I can help them.”
Melissa Perez (3.24 GPA, Toppenish High School) wants to finish beauty school and get her license in time to start college this fall with a way to pay her own way. “I am not sure what I want to study, but I have thought about teaching in an elementary school. Ten years from now I see myself married, working as a teacher, and having my cosmetology license for a part-time job,” she says.
Adelina Lemos (3.55 GPA, Wahluke School District, Sentinel Tech Alternative H.S.) faces the uphill battle of attending college while caring for her child, but she is determined.
“I have seen both my mom and my dad struggle. Also, it is hard for me to find a job that does not consist of working in the fields. Since my parents both work in the fields, I have had to learn how to deal with only having part-time parents,” Adelina says. “There have been times I have needed them, and since they work from early in the morning and have to travel miles away to support us, I have missed out on childhood and teen events. I want to be financially stable. I have seen my parents struggle from time to time trying to make ends meet. During the winter is always a down time and I had to try and find a job to help support us. I am a single teen parent, however, I wouldn’t give up my child no matter what.
“I am going to attend college and better myself educationally, not only for myself, but also for my child,” she says. “I plan to major in business administration to become a business executive for a large corporation. In the future, I see myself working at a large corporation with many employees working with me and under my supervision. I am looking at working at a corporation, so not only will I be financially stable but I can be in a continuous learning environment for my career.
Yesenia Mejia (3.18 GPA, Wapato High School) wants to go to college and study to be a veterinarian assistant and later a veterinarian.
Working during the school year has been a major obstacle for Yesenia.
“In the month of April, our whole family works in the asparagus. We have to get up at 3 a.m. to go to work. Then my dad takes us home to get ready to go to school. Our family does this for about a month and a half,” she explains.
Israel Núñez (3.58 GPA, Eisenhower High School, Yakima) has goals to go to college to major in music and minor in computer science.
“Music has always been a passion of mine, along with computers. With the money I will earn I will help out my family financially as much as I can. Hopefully, I will also be able to help send my brothers to college while still helping to support my family,” he says.
“My parents had trouble trying to find the money to help me learn music. It can get so expensive that they have to work out in the fields for weeks. I try to help them out by earning my money for band trips with fundraisers. I also work, so they won’t have to worry about me as much,” he adds.
Antonio De Jesus Padilla (3.74 GPA, Davis High School, Yakima) needed the help of ESL teachers and hard work to learn English and achieve success in school. He now plans to study education in order to teach mathematics and ESL.
“I am thinking of coming back to Davis High School and teaching here after I obtain my teaching degree,” he says.
Erika
Sanchez (3.47 GPA, Cashmere High School)
wants to
become an elementary teacher.
“I will
have to be persistent and keep up with
homework and my study time,” she says. “My other goal is to go back to college
later and get my master’s in bilingual education. This will give me a better
foundation to be an even better teacher and a bridge between the parents and the
school.”
Working hard is nothing new to Erika, however.
“When I was in elementary school, there were no Hispanic teachers that could help me. Since my primary language is not English I had to work very hard. This is the most important reason why I want to become a teacher so I can help kids who find themselves in the same situation,” she says.
Isabel Escoto (3.99 GPA, Manson Junior-Senior High) had the reverse problem that most migrant students have.
“The greatest obstacle for me was moving to Mexico for five years after I had been in the school system here,” she says “I had to learn how to speak Spanish properly and study other cultures. This was difficult for me,” she says.
Then after adapting to Mexican schools she had to readapt to the U.S.
“I started to forget English [and] when I returned to the United States I had to start all over again because all I learned in Mexico did not apply to my studies here,” Isabel says.
Her goal is law school.
“It is a dream of mine to become a lawyer. Once I achieve my goals, I would like to work in the law field to help all the people who need it,” she says.
Yesenia Hernandez (3.32 GPA, Davis High School, Yakima) wants to study law and “become a great lawyer.”
“I like this profession because I would like to help people who need help,” she says.
Getting to where she is has not been easy, however.
“During my time in school I had to face a new world in which I was not prepared to enter. I did not know the language spoken in this country. Another obstacle was that I was alone. My family was still in Mexico. Another difficulty that I am still dealing with is that I suffer from economic problems. I have to work during the summer just to buy my school supplies,” she says.
Zain Paloalto (3.50 GPA, Manson Junior-Senior High) struggled to keep up with other students.
“Thinking in Spanish and then writing it down in English is not easy, especially when it comes to math. When I saw other students work faster than I, it always made me wonder why,” he says. “I eventually understood that I had to process things a lot more and work with two different languages. When I received homework, I would go home to find out that my parents could only help me to a certain extent.”
He hopes now to become the first in his family to attend and graduate from college.
“This dream seems impossible at times, but I know if I am persistent this will someday come to pass,” Zain says. “I also want to pursue a master’s degree and maybe go beyond that. The only person who can limit me is myself.”
He wants to then have an impact on others.
“Something I desire is to be an example to other young students who believe they don’t have what it takes to meet their goal. I want to become a difference-maker in people’s lives. Achieving high goals is the driving force that keeps my life going,” Zain says.
Yobanni Espinoza (3.55 GPA, Mount Vernon High School) wants to be a computer engineer and “a great father.”
“If, for some reason, I can’t become an engineer, I would like to create my own business. I wouldn’t like to work for anyone else,” he says.
Ana Ramos (3.15 GPA, Davis High School, Yakima) wants to become a lawyer or psychologist.
“My hardest obstacle to overcome has been coming to the United States without my parents,” she says. “It was hard for me because I was only 13 years old, and I am the youngest in my family. It was the first time in my life to be separated from my family,” she says.
Belem Rojas (3.16 GPA, Pasco High School) explains difficulties she has faced: “I live with my mom, and she is the only other member of my family here in the U.S.A. Since we are here alone, we need to help each other out in almost everything we do. I do not want my mom to be working all her life for me. Someday I want to be the one working for her. I know how much she has done for me working two full-time jobs; sometimes she doesn’t even sleep. I know I need to study to have a good job and get her out of the field,” she says.
“After graduation I’m going to keep working and go to Columbia Basin College (CBC). I know it will be hard because I will not have financial aid, but I know I will be able to make it somehow. After that, I will move to WSU (Washington State University). I would like to study music and psychology because I want to help people with problems. Someday I want to be in a place where I can do something to help people get over depression or addictions,” says Belem.
William Paul Hernandez (3.21 GPA, Pasco High School) wants to go to a four-year college, have his own house and a family, and have a job that would “give me the type of living I want – a job that would give me my American Dream.”
“While in college, I’m planning to play soccer and go professional. I would really like to do or invent something that could help humanity … something that I will be remembered for a thousand years from now.”
Raymundo Madero (3.07 GPA, Pasco High School) says he would like to study the construction trades after high school.
“Most of my friends have asked me, ‘How do you keep your grades up?’ Most of them think it is because my parents told me once, ‘It’s your life. You pick what to do with it. We might suffer with you but you’ll pay the consequences. Think before you act,’” he says. “My parents don’t tell me anything when I don’t do my work. It’s my life and I’m the captain of it. Because it’s my life, I care and want a better future for me and my parents. I am an example for a lot of guys who say they can’t do the work. Everything is possible – just put your mind into it.”
Yolizma Flores (3.96 GPA, Highland High School) wants to pursue a major in business and eventually own an accounting company. Flores achieved nearly a perfect GPA, despite moving to the U.S. with poor English skills.
“It was hard coming to the United States for my family and me. We had to adjust to a new language, which was not easy, especially when we started school,” she says. “Fortunately, my three brothers, sister and I learned English very fast in our ESL class. Now, we don’t need a translator when it comes to English; we are doing well in school because we were able to master the English language.”
Rosa Maria Macedonio (3.58 GPA, Highland High School) has a long-term goal of improving her English and graduating from college. “I would like to be a kindergarten teacher because I’d like to teach kids. I think my other principal goal is to have a good job to help my parents. I think I will be a good teacher.” She knows it won’t be easy. “My parents don’t have a lot of money to pay for college. But I think I can work and go to college to realize my goals.”
Alma Chapa (3.53 GPA, Pasco High School) achieved her high grades despite not speaking English initially. “It was so hard for me to communicate with other people. That was like a dare for me, so I started to socialize with more people and get involved in a lot of activities in the school. That helped me to get it out of my way.”
Alonzo Elizarraraz (3.08 GPA, Pasco High School) wants to become an architect.
“I would like to graduate from the University of Washington and then design and build my own house,” he says.
“The most difficult obstacle I have overcome is to learn to speak and write in English. When we went back and forth to Mexico, I wasn’t able to get all my homework and assignments so I would always be behind. I was six months here and six months there, and it made it hard to stay up with either school.”
Erika Hernandez (3.53 GPA, Pasco High School) wants to go to a university and study history and later visit Russia, China, Brazil and France to learn the language of those countries. Her career goal is to become a police officer. She hopes she can overcome the financial obstacles that stand in her way.
Azucena Herrera (3.78 GPA, Pasco High School) wants to go to a university either in the U.S. or in Mexico. “I would like to be in education or business. I would like to travel around the world and know different people and cultures, as I would like to get a career in tourism. I am also interested on getting a career in education because I would like to be an elementary school teacher … because I like to work with, play with, spend time with, and take care of children.”
She says her biggest obstacle has been learning English. “When I first got here … it was so hard for me to communicate with people who didn’t know how to speak Spanish, but when I started attending Pasco High School, I had some really good teachers who helped me learn English.
Diocelina Chavez (3.09 GPA, Davis High School, Yakima) has always had an interest in singing and acting, and now an interest in being a producer.
“My plans for college are to study child psychology and be involved in music and theater. Although music and theater is my first love, I want to study psychology because it’s something I like and could do if I have trouble pursuing my other dreams,” she says.
Racism has been a major problem for Diocelina.
“We are human beings struggling in a new country. We had to deal with people looking down on us,” she says.
Another obstacle for her has been not having her biological father in her life.
“I think that having a close family makes things simpler. However, I’m not going to allow his absence to get in the way of my dreams,” she says.
Lidia Gutierrez (GPA: 3.59, Davis High School, Yakima) is interested in studying law or business.
“Moving from Mexico to Washington,” she says, “the school environment and weather were very different, but the most difficult was the language. I came here without speaking a word of English.”
Antonio Nunez (3.38 GPA, Manson Junior-Senior High) wants to become an architect and get a master’s degree in building technology.
“I find it fascinating to put materials together and watch them become a location where people can live or work,” he says.
Antonio came to the U.S. when he was 15 years old.
“The first year I attended school was very hard because I had to meet new people, make new friends, learn about a new culture and I did not speak any English,” he says. His next big obstacle is to figure out how to pay for college.
Stephanie Valencia (3.24 GPA, Manson Junior-Senior High) wants to attend Eastern Washington University and get her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Her school’s ASB treasurer and senior class president, Stephanie says, “I really like helping other people.”
To achieve success in high school is she says she would “stay up all night until I got my homework done. Sometimes I would just wake up very early in the morning and come to school and get help on my homework.”
Tomas Pruneda (3.68 GPA, Warden High School) plans to attend Eastern Washington University to study business administration and financing. But Tomas also loves music.
“When I was 13 years old, my dad started teaching me how to play the guitar. Now I am in a Mexican band called Rival Norteño. I have been playing with this band for about a year. I play the guitar, and I am the lead singer in a couple of songs,” he says.
Arturo Ruiz Martell Jr. (3.05 GPA, Tonasket High School) says his life’s hardships will help him achieve his life’s dreams.
“Moving to a new country doesn’t just bring language problems but cultural ones, as well,” he says. “Not knowing how to act in certain situations because of not knowing how a different culture might respond was tough. But now that I have learned how to adapt, I think this experience might help me in the future. I’m going to have a more open mind and be able to accept different thoughts and ideas.”
Now Arturo wants to become an architect.
“My dream, my inspiration and my motivation to finish school has been a mix of wanting to show my parents my appreciation for their work and my personal interest to become an architect. I have always had an interest in designing homes, and I plan to chase those dreams in college,” he says.
Ada Gutierrez (3.55 GPA, Wenatchee High School) wants to become a doctor, but she’s still struggling with adapting to the U.S.
“When I first arrived in the United States, changing schools was a big challenge and a 360 degree change in my life. The first thing I had to face was learning English. Now, four years later, it is still difficult for me to fully express my ideas in English. I try to have conversations in English with other students and to read nonfiction books on topics I’m interested in, like history and health,” she says.
Edith Zavala (3.04 GPA, Wenatchee High School) wants to attend either Central or Eastern University to attain her teaching certificate. She believes her background as an immigrant and a migrant student will help her excel in that profession.
“I think I will be a wonderful teacher, knowing what the newly arrived children are going through and being able to assist them. I will have a lot to offer to my students as a teacher. I will continue my education as a teacher throughout my career and I am sure as my horizons are broadened, I will continue to learn new and exciting things,” she says.
Antonio Luna (3.20 GPA, Mount Vernon High School) has big plans. He wants to become a math teacher to help Latino students, and then to study law and become a lawyer to help his community with problems such as immigration. But the talented young man also enjoys performing rap and Bachata.