So kids don't miss out. That's why she works for La Casa and 21st Century Scholars.
Editor's note: For five weeks, we have profiled two women each week who are making a difference in the South Bend region. Whether they are already in the spotlight or escaping much public attention for their efforts, these women are putting in the work to make their neighbors' lives better. The series concludes today, but check out previous entries on our website.
SOUTH BEND — Gladys Rosas is making up for missed opportunities, like the 21st Century scholarship that she could have had.
She’d signed up for Indiana's 21st Century Scholars program as a middle school student in Goshen, then forgot about it. No one reminded her that the money was within reach. So, she pursued and gained her bachelor’s degree in social work at Hesston College in Kansas anyway — having met many of the requirements to secure the scholarship (except for staying in Indiana), but without the generous benefit.
Now Rosas is working to get more local students signed up for 21st Century Scholars, which aids students from lower-income families. A year ago, she became one of eight outreach workers across Indiana in a new program, Padres Estrellas, to boost enrollment by working with local organizations.
Sept. 29, 2023: Local program nudges 21st Century Scholars to graduate from college
Likewise, in her full-time job at the nonprofit La Casa de Amistad, Rosas is tapping into teachable moments that could go to waste.
As she’s running La Casa’s afterschool and summer camp programs for middle school students, a kid may blurt out hurtful language or laugh at someone’s expense.
She’ll pause the session and pull the students into a “friendship circle.” And they’ll discuss: Why do we say these things? Why laugh?
“They really, really like doing that,” she said.
They’ll even ask to go into the circle.
“For them, it’s just like talking,” Rosas said. “They don't realize that they’re expressing themselves.”
She asks, “Have you ever had someone show you what healthy anger looks like?”
“No,” they respond, accustomed to slamming doors and screaming. “What is that?”
She explains that healthy anger is about letting someone know how their words or actions made them feel. Then she sees kids’ faces lighten up as they get it.
“They get to know themselves and find their identity,” Rosas said. “Being alongside them is very powerful for me.”
The after-school program runs for two hours. Called Florecer, which in Spanish means “To Blossom,” it’s relatively small for now. It typically enrolls up to 20 students since it started about the time Rosas came to La Casa in March 2022, having broken the combined high school and middle school programs into two.
Rosas hopes to enroll more.
Florecer includes an hour and a half for homework and tutoring, but it begins with a half hour where she is engaging the students on a year-long theme.
Last year’s theme revolved around Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a radical 17th Century poet and nun from Mexico whose writing is seen as an early form of feminist advocacy.
Among other things, Rosas said it allowed students to discuss, “How to empower yourself when society tells you do something that you know is wrong.”
The three-week summer camp for middle school students just began last week with 34 kids. The theme is “I am like the sun and the moon,” looking at dual roles within students, like Latino and American, masculine and feminine, and mediocre and excellent.
Recruiting 21st Century Scholars
After college and before she came to La Casa, Rosas worked as an organizer for the Logan Square Neighborhood Association in Chicago, helping residents to advocate for educational resources and against gentrification.
Soon after she came to La Casa, her supervisor suggested that she apply for Padres Estrellas — Spanish for “Star Parents” — and the contracted work through the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
The work was bewildering at first. She didn’t know the area well. But she’s made headway by collaborating with a 21st Century Scholars recruiter at South Bend schools, Roberto Leal, and with the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, which has a program to help the scholars follow through and succeed in their education.
Several students miss out on the scholarship or higher education because of challenges that range from mental health to a lack of awareness.
Students enroll in 21st Century Scholars in seventh or eighth grade if their parents’ income is low enough. If they stay in school and do certain activities, the scholarship will cover up to 100% of tuition for a two- or four-year degree at an Indiana public college or university, or the equivalent at a private institution.
Rosas also reached out to the guidance counselor at Elkhart’s Pierre Moran Middle School. They hosted an evening that drew more than 100 students and parents to meet with educational and mentoring organizations and to learn about 21st Century Scholars. About 40 students signed up as a result. That spurred Rosas to hold other similar events in St. Joseph and Elkhart counties and to alert students at La Casa.
Since Padres Estrellas is new, it takes her a while to explain it to school staff as she reaches out. Really, she tells them, she’s not trying to compete with their recruiting efforts — rather, to assist.
“I don’t want you to be overwhelmed by this (21st Century Scholars),” she tells them.
She doesn’t want to let more students miss an opportunity.
South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Rosas at La Casa de Amistad helps students seek 21st Century Scholars
