Student’s name has been changed for privacy.
Andrea is in 6th grade and attends DeLay Middle School. This is her first year in the CISNT case management program. Andrea and her family migrated to the United States from El Salvador and experienced barriers to success in school, such as language barriers and lack of resources such as food and transportation. When the front office staff learned of Andrea’s needs, they referred her to CISNT to help her gain confidence and to speak with someone who she could trust.
First, the CISNT Site Coordinator, Ms. Tracey Quezada, learned that Andrea’s family was approved for an apartment to live in, but the move-in-date was a month out. Her family needed food and basic resources including furniture, clothing, and access to technology. CISNT was able to provide wraparound support through weekend food bags, basic needs items, and emotional support for Andrea. Additionally, in coordination with CISNT, many staff members at DeLay Middle provided support and care for Andrea’s wellbeing through donations of furniture, kitchen essentials, a mattress, a microwave, as well as cleaning and laundry supplies.
In spite of language barriers, Andrea is eager and committed to learning from her teachers and Ms. Quezada. Andrea attends an ESL class, where she is making progress everyday! Andrea has been able to utilize the skills learned in ESL class in her other classes, and she has made significant progress in communicating effectively with her teachers and CISNT Site Coordinator. During the ESL class, Andrea has been able to practice using “I” statements,” while also participating in other activities such as reading. During her classes, she shows motivation by going above and beyond and translating English sentences into Spanish so that she doesn’t forget her native language and to teach her other classmates. Andrea goes to Ms. Quezada’s office everyday. Andrea shares, “Ms. Quezada, thank you for helping me and my family; thanks to you, I am confident in my own abilities and have learned so much in my classes.” She always remains positive and has a smile on her face whenever she comes to school.
Due to Andrea’s hard work, she has earned excellent grades in all her classes and helps her classmates with difficult problems. With a community of support provided by CISNT and DeLay Middle School staff, Andrea and her family have been able to receive the support they need to overcome barriers to success in school. CISNT provides wraparound supports and opportunities that empower students to stay in school and achieve in life. CISNT is so proud of the progress Andrea has made and looks forward to all that she will accomplish throughout the rest of her time at DeLay Middle.
