Liz Cartagena, Virginia, Learns at Early Childhood Education in Manor The program will start this fall semester.

When she was five, VirginiaLiz Cartagena moved with her family from the Kensington area of ​​Philadelphia to Lancaster. Cartagena’s mother moved her family to avoid violence, but despite her best efforts, her children still ran into problems.

“My mother didn’t want me to grow up in that part of Philadelphia, but Lancaster is a place where you can also run into trouble across the street,” said Cartagena. and behavioral problems.”

Cartagena fought, had emotional outbursts, and often dropped classes. Her mother didn’t speak English, so Cartagena often tore up her school card and threw it away. And she met her teacher in junior high school, which changed her future.

“We just made a connection and started talking,” Cartagena said. “She told me about Milton Hershey School, and I applied to be a student there. .”

Milton Hershey School is a free school in Hershey that provides students access to tuition, housing, board, school supplies, counseling services and medical care. The school accepted his application one year after his application in Cartagena.

“It was a miracle,” said Cartagena. “I knew I needed to change. I was happy to know that I was given a chance and a second chance.”

***

While at Milton Hershey, Cartagena undertook an internship at the organization’s primary school. She worked as a second grade assistant teacher.

“I was going to observe more, but I was thrown into the fire,” said Cartagena. “My teacher empowered me: ‘You are now a teacher.’ I was able to see the lesson plan and see how the class worked.”

This experience gave her the opportunity to help “Milton-Hershey children” like herself.

“When I saw a flower grow, or showed how an earthworm moved, a student would run up and say, ‘Miss Virginia, look at this dirt!’ “I don’t want to touch it!” she said.

When Cartagena started looking for college, she wanted to continue teaching. Milton her Hershey counselor introduced her to her college in Manor.

“I knew I didn’t want to go to a big school, so I thought I could find connections at Manor College,” said Cartagena. It was real. It just felt like the right place for me.”

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Last summer she started school and wants to start classes next week. She has already jumped into her life on campus, Manners has worked as a working graduate on the college’s student affairs team, and Manners has worked on her feed at the college’s Bard.

With her degree, she wants to combine her love of teaching with her passion for the arts. She has her eyes set on her future, and she wants to teach others the same gift she once received: an opportunity.

“Not everyone has the opportunity to change or choose education,” Cartagena said. “You never know when you might run into someone who needs help. I’m incredibly lucky to have someone do it for me.”

Read the series: Latest Blue Jays

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