CONESVILLE, Iowa — Columbus Community High School senior Vanessa Espinoza learned a valuable lesson when she made a snap judgement about one of her Sunday school students.

And that lesson inspired her to create an award-winning project, “It’s Never Too Late,” which provides adults with lessons in Spanish and English.

Espinoza created her project after learning more about the challenges faced by Alfredo Garcia, a student in the Sunday school class she teaches at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Columbus Junction.

 Garcia, 18, could not read, and Espinoza said her first reaction was to judge him.

She came to realize her initial reaction was wrong after learning Garcia’s parents took him to  live in Mexico shortly after he was born in the United States, and he never went to school.

“He chose to work with his dad on a farm in Mexico,” said Espinoza.

This fall, Espinoza was selected to receive the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association’s Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student Award for her project.

The Herbert Hoover Library Association is a nonprofit support group for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and National Historic Site in West Branch.

“When I won this award, it said to me, ‘I can do anything,’” said Espinoza, the daughter of Eduardo Espinoza and Marina Madrigal of Conesville.

In addition to a $5,000 scholarship, Espinoza received a $1,000 check presented by Andrew Hoover, grandson of President Hoover.

The award also included a Hoover medallion presented by Hoover’s great-grandson, Allan Hoover III, and a certificate of recognition from Gov. Chet Culver, presented by Culver staff member Pete McRoberts. 

“They told me I’m setting a good example for my siblings,” said Espinoza, 17, who is also this year’s Miss Latina Columbus Junction.

 Espinoza was also named winner of the Mariah Becker Volunteer Leadership Award.  Becker, who died from cancer in 2002 at age 20, was a Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student in 2000.

The award symbolizes Becker’s volunteerism and leadership.

Espinoza was one of 14 Iowa teens who made presentations on Oct. 17, at the Hoover Presidential Library-Museum in West Branch.

She said Garcia’s situation helped her realize how fortunate she was.

But she knows being in school presents another set of challenges for students with Spanish- speaking parents. For example, her parents, who came to the United States from Mexico, were not educated in the public school system here and could not help her with  homework, Espinoza said.

“Sixty-seven percent of the students at our school are Hispanic and more than half their parents have less than a fifth-grade education,” she said. “A lot of people drop out or make bad decisions because when they don’t receive help, school seems impossible.”

“I would like to write about my culture so people can understand us and not judge us,” she said. “My parents came to the United States to work and give my brother and sisters and I a better life.”

Receiving the Uncommon Student scholarship brings Espinoza closer to realizing  her goal of helping others strive for their dreams.

“When you think something is impossible but you still achieve it, you know that there are no barriers in your life,” she said.

Details

The award

Area high school juniors are invited to apply for the Hoover Uncommon Student Award program by submitting an application that includes a project proposal. Students chosen for the program work on their projects between their junior and senior years, returning to West Branch in October to report on their accomplishment.  At that time, each student receives $1,000 for participating in the program. To request an application, call 800-828-0475 or send an e-mail to scholarship@hooverassociation.org  

The Hoover Uncommon Student Award

The title of the scholarship program is taken from the writings of the only U.S. president from Iowa, Herbert Hoover.

 “In my opinion, there has been too much talk about the common man,” said Hoover. “We believe in equal opportunity for all, but we know that this includes the opportunity to rise to leadership—in other words, to be uncommon.”