Nellie Apodaca, CIS Site Coordinator at Central Elementary School, first met Drake when he was in second grade. Drake and his family had just moved to Texas from another country, and Drake was having a very hard time adjusting. Leaving his friends and other family members behind was difficult, and the educational setting at Central Elementary was unfamiliar, and posed a language barrier and new rules and regulations. Drake was accustomed to constantly being in fight-or-flight mode, and he feared showing vulnerability and kindness to his peers and teachers. Visiting the office of the assistant principal, Mrs. Timi, was a daily routine for Drake, and Mrs. Timi reached out to Mrs. Apodaca, believing that Drake could benefit from supportive guidance and mentoring.
Mrs. Apodaca began working to develop trust between herself and Drake by having one-on-one lunches with him in the CIS office. Drake was a kind and respectful student when he interacted with Mrs. Apodaca, and Mrs. Apodaca saw great potential for positive change in him. She connected Drake with a boys’ group focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) activities that met once a week, and started working with Drake on academics and language skills twice a week.
Now, in fourth grade, Drake has grown exponentially as a student and as an individual. Though it hasn’t been easy, Drake has learned self-control, anger management, and how to use his words instead of his actions to let others know how he is feeling, and he has applied what he has learned from CIS over the past two years.
“Today, Drake is a happy individual, always in a good mood and smiling,” says Mrs. Apodaca.“He always says ‘hi’ to you when he meets you in the hallways, no matter who you are. Going to the principal’s office is a thing of the past, and playing soccer with his classmates during recess is a highlight of his day.”
In third grade, Drake became a hallway and safety patrol officer, and this year, Drake became a Kindness Ambassador representing Central Elementary in Lewisville ISD, and a House Leader representing the Fidato House in his campus’s school climate program. Drake has also made A/B Honor Roll every nine weeks!
Drake had perseverance and determination from the very start, and Mrs. Apodaca and the CISNT program helped Drake use these traits to build his self-confidence and self-worth and become the person his peers admire and look up to.
“Drake is the example to others that your past doesn’t determine who you are or who you are destined to become,” says Mrs. Apodaca. “Saying that you want to change is not enough, but working on that change is what makes you realize you are the kind of person people saw inside of you all along.”
In recognition of all of Drake’s hard work and accomplishments, Drake was named “CIS Student of the Year” at Central Elementary! Drake is truly deserving of his recognition as Central Elementary’s 2021 CIS Student of the Year, and we are SO proud of his determination and resilience and the person he has become! CISNT is also grateful for our Site Coordinators, who focus on building relationships based on trust every day on school campuses and virtually with students learning at home. Drake is already accomplishing so much, and we know that this is only the beginning!
Congratulations, Drake!
