WORCESTER — Sixteen-year-old Ciara Martinez of Worcester is a senior at Burncoat High School with plans to enter the communication/journalism program at Worcester State University and, later, a graduate program at Boston University. With that under her belt, Ciara plans to become a journalist.
“I have a voice, and I want to use it,” she said.
Ciara’s goals and drive have been shaped by the time she spent in programs at the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University, thanks to her mother, Isalby Martinez.
Isalby arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2004 and right away discovered that the American education system was very different from what she experienced in the Dominican Republic. As she struggled with navigating the system for her older son, she discovered LEI and its afterschool programs.
When Ciara was old enough to participate, Isalby sent her to LASOS (Latina Achievers in Search of Success), an afterschool program for sixth graders and their mothers. As LEI celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sept. 30, the Martinez family is one of thousands of Latine families from Greater Worcester who have been positively impacted by LEI programs.
Ciara recalls the first time she showed her parents the work she had been doing at LASOS and the pride she felt in her accomplishments. In middle school, Ciara became a member of One Circle, a program for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) girls ages 10 to 14 that explores issues vital to middle school girls and empowers them and their families. Then she joined YCU (Youth Civic Union) and LIDER (Latinos Involved in Discovering Educational Resources) during high school. The YCU program emphasizes civic engagement, where youth choose topics they wish to improve in their educational and community environments. They conduct research and present their findings and action plans at the year-end Youth Summit. LIDER promotes access to higher education by organizing college visits and assisting youth and their families with college and financial aid applications.
Ciara wasn’t the only one who received help and support. Isalby recalled her gratitude for LEI’s programs to support parents, as well, especially as she navigated the Worcester Public Schools individualized education program (IEP) for Ciara, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Today, both Ciara and Isalby not only are grateful beneficiaries of LEI’s programs but have turned their considerable talents to helping others through LEI. Ciara last summer was a youth facilitator and education advisor for LEI, and Isalby is now a lead family educator through LASOS for Worcester Public Schools’ Woodland Street School and Chandler Magnet School and for One Circle at Burncoat Middle School.
“When I came to the United States, I was far away from my family,” Isalby recalled. “When I connected with LEI, I had a family.”
For Ciara, connecting with the LEI community through its various programs has given her a profound sense of belonging and bonding with her fellow program participants. “Every time I walk in the door, I feel the love,” she said. “I can’t imagine life without LEI.”
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