Story Provided by Dessire Emralino, Madison Elementary
Scared. Overwhelmed. Nervous. Anxious. These are some of the many emotions that an immigrant child may experience when they arrive to a new country. How do I know? I was an immigrant child myself, moving from Tijuana, Mexico to a small town in Indiana at the age of six. As a six year old surrounded by so many new unknowns and not be able to speak or understand the language spoken was devastating. I felt alone. I felt unseen. I missed the comforts of my beautiful Tijuana. School was especially hard. There wasn’t anyone who spoke my language or ate the foods that I ate. I felt like the weird kid that everyone noticed didn’t quite fit in. This experience has always stayed with me. This is why I pursued education and eventually made my way back to Southern California, close to my beloved Tijuana. I wanted to work with children, motivate and inspire them to be the best versions of themselves. I am an example of an immigrant who has thrived in this country, despite the challenges that newcomers face. Many years later I saw myself in another child. This brings me to share the story of Yanay.
Yanay arrived from Mexico and started at Madison Elementary in the May of 2025. The school community encouraged her mother to sign Yanay up for the Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Summer Program so that Yanay would have some time to prepare for the 2025-26 school year and become familiar with her school learning environment. When Yanay started the summer program she struggled daily at drop off due to fear of being separated from her mother. Yanay’’s mother arrived to the country some time before Yanay, so Yanay had some understandable separation anxiety being in a new environment. In preparation, I reached out to our summer school RTI coach, Mrs. Liliana Ortiz, and created a plan. Our goal was to support Yanay in helping her feel welcome and acclimate to the school culture. Ms. Ortiz and myself would greet Yanay on a daily basis, assuring her that her mother would return to pick her up. Mrs. Ortiz supported her by having Yanay participate in morning activities such as blowing bubbles, chalk play, ball toss, and jumping rope. This seemed to help Yanay begin her day on a fun note and release any anxiety during drop- off. We also noticed the morning interactions with other peers helped her build her social relationships at school. Additionally, Mrs. Ortiz lead a reading group in which Yanay participated. Yanay was exposed to the English language through the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFli) curriculum. The intent was to help her better prepare her for the first grade. This practice built her confidence and she thrived learning the beginning stages of a new language.
This was also reflected in her summer school classroom. Her PEF teacher, Mr. Griffiths, was inspired and awestruck by Yanay’s adaptability and eagerness to learn. He was amazed by how quickly Yanay would absorb content and remain resilient in a new environment. He had no doubt that she would be successful in the upcoming school year.
With the consistent support of the RTI coach, the mornings started becoming easier, with Yanay crying less and less at drop-off. Soon we started to see Yanay arrive to the PEF program with a smile on her face. This brought Ms. Ortiz and I so much joy and pride. To be honest, Yanay’s experience and the support she had helped heal my inner child. If I would have had the same support put in place in my school setting, I would have had a much smoother transition and acclimated to the school environment so much better. Yanay’s journey at Madison Elementary School and PEF summer participation is a clear reflection of the impact that Save the Children has when organizations work together to positively impact children’s lives.
