Catalyst in the Classroom

Alumna charts path of success for third-graders

Editor's note: The need for a highly educated workforce in our country is a frequent topic of discussion in the media, on the street, and in the classroom. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, less than 22 percent of San Antonio's population had earned a bachelor's degree. Research tells us that for students to move into higher education, where they have access to greater opportunities, they first must have models of success and systems of support. One St. Mary's alumna, Larissa Luna, believes that she has been called to action. Here's her story.

As a third-grade teacher at Vestal Elementary in San Antonio's Harlandale Independent School District, I see students every day struggle with factors beyond their control. With 98 percent of our students facing a variety of disadvantages, each challenge can affect their classroom performance and enthusiasm about school. The other teachers and I decided we had to spark their passion for learning—we had to show them that through education, they can reach for the stars; that they can beat the odds, first by graduating from high school, and that attaining a college education is possible for each one of them.

The Vestal Elementary teachers wanted to show the students what they can do with their lives, that their opportunities do not have to be limited by their circumstances. Many of the children in our classrooms have never even seen a university, nor do they have relatives that have attended one.

We decided to make higher education a visible part of their daily experience at school. Each teacher at Vestal "adopted" a university, hanging university pennants and banners in the cafeteria and putting brochures outside of our classroom doors so students could see what colleges are like. Every Wednesday became "college T-shirt day," a day when the students and teachers wear their adopted college T-shirts to class. In September, we held a college pep rally to introduce our universities, and each class wore their university colors. Our goal is to influence and motivate our students (and maybe even their parents) to go to college.

I've always thought that going to college is an important rite of passage, and I've shared my story with my students so they can begin to understand the importance of higher education. St. Mary's has always been a part of my life. My mother was one semester shy of graduating from St. Mary's when she had to leave the country to follow my father, who was stationed in Italy. After returning to the states, my dad decided to go back to school and attended St. Mary's, where he worked towards a bachelor's degree in education. The summer before I went to high school, I attended my third year of the Pre-freshman Engineering Program (PREP) at St. Mary's. (Ed.'s note: PREP is an intensive seven-week program that helps students prepare for college.)

I entered St. Mary's in 2000 majoring in Political Science. I enjoyed how my class peers moved together as a group through the core curriculum of our major. We developed a close bond, helping and looking out for each other. At St. Mary's I learned how important a well-rounded and diverse education is. I joined Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and Coro y Camera Santa Maria, the St. Mary's choirs. I enjoyed singing, but more than that, I enjoyed being a part of a group.

During my freshman year I saw first-hand the compassion and sincerity that the professors showed. My father was in his last semester at St. Mary's, and we took College Algebra together. Most would find it difficult to take a college class with a parent sitting next to them; however, I did not. Although my father struggled in the class, with my help at home and the help of our professor, he was successful. After seven years of working a full-time job, supporting a family, and going to school full-time, my father graduated with his teaching certification in Music.

After earning my bachelor's degree in 2004, I taught music to elementary students for three years before deciding to go back to St. Mary's to get my master's in Public Administration. And although my graduate degree trained me for management positions in local governments, teaching had become my passion. It's my personal commitment to public service.

St. Mary's always felt like a family to me—you could walk anywhere on campus and people would smile and greet you as you passed. The professors knew you and cared about your success. It didn't matter if you were a young or older student like my father, the professors would listen to what you had to say and wanted to see you succeed. I had great professors who sincerely cared and made a difference in my life. I believe that I am called upon to influence others' lives the way mine has been.

To give my students that same kind of experience, that closeness and care from professors, I needed to make them aware of the well-rounded education they could receive right here in San Antonio at St. Mary's. I had them write letters to St. Mary's President Charles Cotrell and ask him any questions they had about the University. I was deeply moved, and my students were very excited, by President Cotrell's offer to visit our class and to answer my students' questions about college in person!

Cotrell's visit made a lasting impression. My students now talk about going to college all the time, and they proudly wear their Rattler T-shirts every Wednesday. More importantly, they are more aware of the work required to enter and be successful in college, and they look forward to participating in a college experience of their own.

St. Mary's made a major difference in my life—from being the daughter of a graduate of St. Mary's, attending PREP there, and deciding that there was no place to go but St. Mary's for my degrees. My professors at St. Mary's showed me how educators can and should care for the well-being and success of their students. My goal as a teacher is to show the same love, respect and honesty that I received from my professors at St. Mary's. Their support and guidance led me to become the professional I am today. By wanting success for my students—and sharing my experiences with them—I believe I can instill in them the desire and the knowledge that they, too, are capable of attaining a college education.

A College-Going Culture

When the request came into the President's Office asking Cotrell to visit Larissa Luna's third grade class, he saw this as a perfect opportunity for him to put into practice the principles of the P-16 Council.

The goal of P-16 regional councils across the state is to foster college-going cultures in their local communities. 'P-16' describes an integrated system of education beginning in preschool (the 'P') through a four-year college degree ('grade 16'). The councils are made up of pre-school, elementary, middle and high school educators, administrators of higher education institutions and community business leaders. The regional councils are supported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

As the Vice President of the P-16 Plus Council of Greater Bexar County, Cotrell and his colleagues work to create a more integrated education system that provides all students with smooth transitions from one level of learning to the next, ultimately producing a betterprepared workforce that is equipped to make valuable contributions to the local economy.

As part of the P-16's multi-year plan to create a college-going culture, parents/families, teachers, counselors, principals and school superintendents must be 'champions.' As 'champions,' they must work as Larissa Luna has, to help students and their families realize that education after high school is doable and attainable; they must talk about trade schools, technical schools, four-year institutions and graduate schools. The foundation is laid in preschool and solidified in high school.

So what started as a class discussion about Luna's own college experiences grew into a school-wide college day recognized weekly, a kaleidoscope of college and university pennants in the school cafeteria, and hundreds of elementary school students excited about going to college—hence a college-going culture!

Click here to read the letters Larissa Luna's students wrote to Dr. Cotrell.