Successful rootED student addresses Cape school board

The Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education met for a special meeting Monday, Feb. 27, to hear a presentation regarding the rootED Missouri program at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

This was Central's first year using rootED, and Nancy Strothmann, a college and career adviser at the school, told board members about the program and her role in helping students create plans for what they want to do after they graduate.

To illustrate the program's success, Strothmann invited Adriana Padilla-Rivera, a 2022 Central graduate, to speak about her experience going through the program.

Originally from Honduras, Padilla-Rivera said she moved to Cape Girardeau when she was 15 years old. She entered Central as a sophomore, and said her first year was difficult because she knew "zero English."

"I cried every night," Padilla-Rivera said. "Sometimes (during school), I was going to the bathroom to cry because it was really hard. I couldn't live without a computer or cellphone because I was using them as a translator."

She related that, since she was 5 years old, she had dreamed of going to college and becoming a doctor, but she didn't know how to accomplish that goal. In her senior year, she was contacted by Strothmann.

"She was such an angel to me," Padilla-Rivera said. "I realized she spoke Spanish, so we could understand each other. She gave me hope and encouragement, telling me 'You can do this.'"

Padilla-Rivera said her grade-point average, at that time, was 2.70 because of her struggles with English and understanding her teachers. She needed at least a 2.75 to be accepted at Southeast Missouri State University. With Strothmann's help, Padilla-Rivera said she was able to raise her GPA to 3.25 and is attending SEMO, majoring in biomedical sciences.

In addition to raising her GPA, Padilla-Rivera said she also needed to find scholarships because her family was not in a position to help her pay for college. She said Strothmann helped her "every step of the way." Padilla-Rivera broke down in tears while thanking Strothmann for helping her receive a scholarship for $12,000 per year.

Strothmann said getting the scholarship was "huge" because SEMO charges out-of-state tuition for non-U.S. citizens. She said Padilla-Rivera is not eligible for grants because she has a pending asylum application. Padilla-Rivera was able to get a job through a work visa and is able to pay $1,000 per semester toward her tuition.

"I wanted Adriana to share her story because it makes me proud," Strothmann said. "Her dream was to go to college, get a good career, give back to the community and help her family."