Dafnee Marquez Padilla is a rising senior who attends the English Learner Institute at the Arlington Career Center in Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. Originally from El Salvador, she arrived in the US less than three years ago and quickly engaged in her school’s learning community. She is the ELI Student Government Treasurer and serves as a mentor for newcomer students.
Dafnee was selected as the 2024-25 Student of the Year by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents for the grit and tenacity she’s shown during her personal journey, and for being a role model for multilingual learners and those who are the most underrepresented. Her teachers say that through her example, Dafnee serves as an inspiration for English learner students and for all students — showing them that their voice is important and needs to be heard.
SmartBrief asked Dafnee to share a bit more about herself and her thoughts about the valuable role teachers play in shaping the success of newcomer students such as herself.
SmartBrief: Tell us about yourself and what it was like growing up/going to school in El Salvador.
Dafnee: My name is Dafnee Alexandra Marquez Padilla, I am 19 years old, and I am from San Vicente, El Salvador.
I lived in El Salvador for almost 17 years, and, in those years, I lived only with my mother and my younger sister, since my dad always lived in the United States. My mom worked as the treasurer for the mayor’s office while my dad worked in the US in different restaurants. My parents always shared that education was a priority for our success. I attended the Complejo Educativo Catolico Ana Guerra de Jesus School. My school instilled in me morals and values that have helped shape the person I am today. I loved participating in school activities and performances. My aunt and grandmother were also very supportive to our family.
SmartBrief: Why did you/your family come to the US?
Dafnee: My father resided in the United States, and he and my mother made the decision for us to come here so that the four of us could be together as a family. My parents also wanted to give my sister and I the opportunity for a better future. And this is how, in the year 2022, we managed to move to the United States. Since I was little, I wanted to travel to the United States because I knew that my life would be different and better for my family and I.
“The way teachers treat us is key in improving our self-confidence and growing as students and individuals.”
— Dafnee Marquez Padilla
SmartBrief: What are some of the biggest differences between life and school in the US and in El Salvador? What has surprised you the most?
Dafnee: The schedule for school in El Salvador is very different. There are two shifts: a morning shift and an afternoon shift. The morning shift is from 7:05 am to 12: 15 p.m. The evening shift is from 12:30 pm to 5:05 pm
My class schedule was in the afternoon shift, but when I entered high school, I had to study during the morning shift two days per week. So, I had school on those days from 7:05 a.m. to 5:05 p.m.
Students would be in the same classroom all day with teachers coming in to teach different subjects. Here in the US, we change classrooms every 90 minutes. I prefer to change classrooms because every subject has an environment that represents what we are learning. I felt that school in El Salvador was sometimes harder because we did not have much flexibility.
As for life, I feel that life is much more comfortable and accessible in the US in terms of transportation, food, school, job opportunities, health care, among others.
SmartBrief: What have been your biggest challenges since coming to the United States? How did you overcome them?
Dafnee: My biggest challenge since I arrived in the United States has been the language. I couldn’t communicate. I was always afraid when I went out on the street, to the supermarket or when I started school and the teachers spoke to me, I didn’t know how to respond. Sometimes I didn’t understand what my teachers said, but little by little I was able to overcome my nerves and improve my English skills. I still have a hard time communicating clearly, but I feel like I’m getting better.
SmartBrief: What were some of the biggest ways your teachers at Arlington Public Schools helped you academically?
Dafnee: My teachers at ACC helped me a lot academically, especially in my first year taking classes within the ELI program, where the patience of the teachers was a great help. In each class they took the time to explain to everyone in the class if we did not understand. They always did fun activities to help us learn and leave shyness behind to express ourselves. The way teachers treat us is key in improving our self-confidence and growing as students and individuals. Each teacher has treated me very kind and with a lot of understanding and support.
SmartBrief: What were some of the biggest ways they helped you from a social/cultural standpoint?
Dafnee: Teachers never judged me. If I made a mistake or did something wrong, they said it was okay, I didn’t have to worry that I was going to get better. Some activities we did involved talking about ourselves, sharing our cultural identity and experiences — so I also learned from the other students.
SmartBrief: Is there anyone else at your school (administrators, other staff members, coaches, etc.) who has been especially influential in supporting your success? How did they help you?
Dafnee: Yes. Ms. Amanda Trevino and Ms. Monica Lozano Caldera. The two of them have been with me since I started high school in the US. Ms. Trevino, being the coordinator of the ELI program, has helped me develop my skills as a leader. She gave me the opportunity to be part of the student government and has always been attentive to my well-being, including academically. She has always supported me in everything.
Ms. Monica has offered me multiple opportunities to see the outside world through college visits, activities such as diversity chats, and has helped me in advocating for myself. They have been great pillars in my personal and academic development.
“In my first year, I was part of a counseling group where we talked about our worries, our fears and our dreams. We also shared some of our stories with each other. That made me feel like I was at home and that school was a place that I wanted to be in, and one where I could learn.”
— Dafnee Marquez Padilla
SmartBrief: What are some of the accomplishments you are most proud of since enrolling at Arlington Public Schools?
Dafnee: For me, the achievement that I am most proud of is how I have been able to improve my English skills in three years. I am now in mainstream English class with native speakers, and next year I will be a senior taking an advanced English 12 class that will provide me with college credit. I am also proud that I was chosen as the Student Honoree for Hispanic Heritage Month in 2023.
SmartBrief: How did you feel when you learned you had been named ALAS Student of the Year?
Dafnee: The truth is that there is no way to explain what I felt. I had traveled to El Salvador for the summer to take care of my grandmother. When I received the news, I was still in El Salvador. When I learned the magnitude of being chosen as ALAS Student of the Year and realized that it was a national event, and that I would have to travel to another state with my parents, I couldn’t believe it. I cried tears of happiness. It is something that does not happen every day. These are opportunities that, thank God, I am blessed to experience.
As an immigrant who had recently arrived to the US, I couldn’t believe I was having this incredible honor. The first person I told was my grandmother, and that is something very significant since she was very happy for me and proud. My grandmother passed away in September, and I know that wherever she is, she was looking at me and applauding. Seeing how proud my family is of me is the only thing that makes me happy and motivates me to keep going. Knowing that I have my family’s support and the support of the teachers and administrative staff at Arlington Career Center means so much to me.
SmartBrief: You have been incredibly active in your school with student government, mentoring newcomers and other activities. What else have you done this year, and what are your plans for next year and after you graduate?
Dafnee: This year I continued being part of the student government, I joined Latinas Leading Tomorrow, focused on my academics in order to maintain good grades, and, as part of JROTC, was able to have new experiences, meet new people, and learn more about discipline.
In addition, I took an aviation class, which I was very excited about, as I want to be a professional pilot one day. This summer, I want to visit more universities to explore more options for my future. I will focus on writing college essays so I can be ready for next year when I begin applying to colleges.
My plans for my senior year are similar, but with the difference that I will be looking for scholarships and participating in more extracurricular activities that give me opportunities to serve as a leader. In my senior year, in addition to my high school degree, I will also be completing a General Studies College Certificate for one year.
SmartBrief: What do you want teachers and administrators who read this article to know about newcomer students?
Dafnee: Newcomer students are scared and anxious in the beginning. They feel very insecure about their ability to succeed in school in comparison to students who were born in the US or who have been here longer. It is important to create a welcoming environment where students feel safe, where they feel heard and they feel comfortable. For instance, in my first year, I was part of a counseling group where we talked about our worries, our fears and our dreams. We also shared some of our stories with each other. That made me feel like I was at home and that school was a place that I wanted to be in, and one where I could learn.
SmartBrief: If you could give the teachers and administrators who are reading this article three pieces of advice about how to support newcomer students (both academically and in terms of making schools welcoming places for them), what would you tell them?
Dafnee:
- Connect with your newcomer students. Ask them where they are from, joke with them, learn about their culture and interests.
- Help your newcomer students feel INCLUDED. This is a big deal for us. We often feel excluded because of our language barriers and our cultural differences. Celebrate cultural differences and how we can learn from each other.
- Respect your newcomer students. Just because they don’t speak English or because they arrive late to school does not mean that they don’t care about school. They have responsibilities that often a lot of other high-school students don’t have. If you treat a student with respect and love, the student will work hard for you and will learn from you. You are so important to their success.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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