LHS students share excitement for future

When Manuel Trejo entered Liberal High School as a freshman, he hardly spoke English. His language barrier forced him to withdraw from learning.

"I was one of the persons who came in not caring," Trejo said. "Not wanting to do anything because I didn't know English. I thought I was left out. Everybody in my class would be able to pay attention and do work. I didn't care. I would just go home and sleep, or when I started working my sophomore year, I would just go home and work."

Manuel Trejo

His mother, Maria Baladez, saw the struggles and culture shock her son endured shortly after arriving in Liberal.

"He wanted to return to Mexico," Baladez said in Spanish. "It was very difficult when they learn English and they don't want to continue. I would go frequently to ask the teachers why he wasn't understanding. They needed to help him and sometimes he wasn't learning anything new. Little by little, they helped."

Today, he is a senior excited about graduating and even more excited after recently learning he can go to college despite having residency challenges. He plans to enroll into the Auto Body Collision or Automotive programs at the Seward County Community College/Area Technical School.

It is no secret that Trejo is not alone. USD 480's largest ethnicity is Hispanic students. Of the 4,449 students in the district, 69.7 percent are Hispanic. At LHS, 67 percent, or about 776 students, of the school's 1,159 students are Hispanic. A high percentage of those students are learning English for the first time. About 21 percent, or 244 of all 1,159 students at LHS are ESL students, principal Keith Adams said.

Life can be hard for students, especially teenagers, who are new to the United States and enroll in a school that speaks an entirely different language.

"It was really hard for me the first time I came here," LHS freshman Nolvia Vallecillo said. "Now I feel more comfortable because I know more English. I have my friends and they help me sometimes. Like, Alexandra (Palma), she's my best friend. She helps me in everything I need."

Nolvia Vallecillo

Last month, two LHS teachers took a group of about 25 students, including Trejo, Vallecillo and Palma, to participate in the Fourth Annual Latino Leadership Conference at the Dodge City Community College.

The event was to give Hispanic students a taste of the college life and a chance to interact with hundreds of other Latinos in the region.

Many Latino students, without immigration papers, do not know they can still attend college, said Lisa Wiley, one of the LHS teachers that took the student to Dodge City. Among the many topics discussed at the conference, students learned about the existing possibilities of post-secondary education.

"We talked about the opportunities that we have for us to go to college and you get excited to learn that you can go," Palma said. "I did not know that they could go before (this conference)."

Alexandra Palma

Trejo agreed. Right now he is working five nights a week at McDonald's after school, Baladez said. During one of his free nights from work, he spends it at school catching up on school work from years prior.

"Before I went with Ms. Wiley, I thought I would graduate and keep working," said Trejo. "I work at a McDonalds and thought I would keep working there to try to be a manager and stay there a while. But now, I'm trying to apply for Seward and go to the technical school. I'm trying to apply for all the scholarships and everything that I can get."

For the LHS students, they took home something else from the conference: motivation to create their own ESL club. They met a group of ESL students from Hugoton who recently created a club aimed to helping each member adjust to the difficulties of going to school while learning English.

"It was pretty nice that they opened up their own club called Latinos Making a Difference," said LHS junior Luis Morales. "As soon as they talked about opening their club, I thought about how cool it would be to have one here too."

Luis Morales

Wiley and several of her students are working to create a similar club open only to students learning English from all cultures. Wiley said LHS has Asian ESL students who tend to feel more excluded.

"We want students to find a place where we can feel comfortable to talk in English, to help them and to be successful in school," said LHS freshman Saul Delgado. "(We want to) find a way for everybody to get good grades. If one student has a hard time in math, we can help them."

Saul Delgado

While other Hispanic clubs exist, this ESL club will be the first of its kind at LHS, said Adams. Wiley said the club is very important to her students today.

"I asked for volunteers to help set this up because it won't officially start until the beginning of the next school year," said Wiley. "I asked who would help me. I have eight seniors that volunteered knowing that they're not even going to be a part of it. So that's a big deal for them."

The conference and the creation of the club have fostered an environment of excitement about these student's futures in a community where some feel Hispanic students are not the community's children. This is a community where voters have twice voted against capital improvement issues.

"I think that some Americans don't care about how we are and if we learn English or not," Trejo said. "It's depressing because if we could all help each other out it would be a better place than what it is now. That's one of the most important things."

In coming into the United States, Trejo's parents share a very common dream with the millions of immigrants this country shares.

"We came for the same reason everyone else does into this country," said Baladez. "We came to better our lives and that of our children."

The students at the school said they understand the difficulties their parents have endured. Trejo, Delgado, Palma, Vallecillo and Morales all expressed their gratitude and commitment to good grades to make their parents proud and realize their sacrifices were not in vain.

"I want to come back here (to Liberal) and get a job and help my family because they made everything (happen) for me," said Delgado. "When I get my career, I have to pay them back, not because they told me to pay them, but I have to help them."

These five students have ambitious plans. In addition to Trejo's automotive aspirations, both Delgado and Nolvia dream of being doctors. Palma hopes to one day work as a psychologist.

"I like to sing but I get really nervous to sing in front of people," said Morales. "When I'm by myself, I start to sing ... I'm planning to be in the talent show this year. I don't know if I'll be able to, but I'm going to try out. Either I'll stay here and study business administration or I'll knock on some doors and see what doors open to become not just a singer."

Liberal High School students traveled to Dodge City last month to attend the Fourth Annual Latino Leadership Conference. Photo submitted by Lisa Wiley

With her son graduating soon, Baladez said Trejo will be the first in their family to finish high school and move on to college. His little sisters and brothers look up to him and he recently spoke at one of the middle schools about the importance of studying and getting good grades.

"(His siblings) love him a lot," she said. "His younger sister is in first grade. During his birthday in January, she was congratulating him. She told him, 'I wish I was in high school like you.'"

For full story please see Sunday's Times

© 2008 Southwest Times