“No Dream Is Too Big”: From English Learner Student to Future Educator

Teresa Padilla, Rocketship Milwaukee Alumna

When I walked onto Marquette’s campus last fall as a freshman, I couldn’t help but think of my fourth-grade self—the girl who had just transferred to Rocketship Southside Community Prep, barely spoke any English, and had no idea what her future would look like.

Now, I’ve just finished my first year of college. I’m double majoring in education and mathematics with a minor in Spanish, and I plan to become a middle or high school teacher. I want to be the kind of educator who believes in her students the way my Rocketship teachers believed in me—especially Ms. Weber and Ms. Borja, who saw potential in me when I couldn’t even see it in myself.

I am the oldest daughter in a family of five. My parents immigrated from Mexico at a young age in search of a better future. They didn’t get to go to school as long as they wanted because they had to work to support their families. That’s why it means so much that I’m the first person in my family to go to college. I’m not just doing this for me—I’m doing it for them, and for my two younger sisters, Magdalena and Luz, who also went to Rocketship.

Before Rocketship, I was struggling academically and being bullied at school. My mom was searching for something better—somewhere that would care about my learning and my voice. One day, she came across a flyer for an open house at a new school: Rocketship Southside. We visited, and she enrolled me right away.

It was one of the best decisions she ever made for me.

At Rocketship, I was placed in English Language Learning and finally had teachers who helped me learn English and made me feel seen. My mom got resources and support too—so she could help me at home. Slowly but surely, I started understanding stories, writing my thoughts, and participating in class. I remember my math teacher, Ms. Borja, making math come alive and always encouraging me to take on harder challenges. That’s where my love of math started. And my 5th-grade teacher, Ms. Weber, never let me give up—even on the days when I wanted to.

There were hard moments. There were times I wanted to quit. But Rocketship taught me how to push through. My teachers reminded me every day that my dreams weren’t too big. That I mattered. That I had a future.

By the time I graduated from Rocketship in 2017, I wasn’t the shy kid who had started 4th grade. I was confident. I was learning. I had friends, community, and a dream. I went on to Carmen High School of Science and Technology: South, and now I’m at Marquette, pursuing a degree that will allow me to give back to students just like me.

My advice to younger Rocketeers—especially those who feel like they don’t belong, or who are learning a new language, or who feel like college is a far-off dream—is simple: Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. You are in charge of your future. You can go farther than you think. And if a door doesn’t open right away, keep knocking. Or build your own.

Rocketship didn’t just help me get to college. It helped me believe I could.

Teresa Padilla is a rising Sophomore at Marquette University

Published on Tháng sáu 11, 2025