Immokalee elementary teacher turns personal journey into pathway for students

IMMOKALEE, Fla. —

Inside Adriana Villanueva's Village Oaks Elementary classroom in Immokalee, kids aren't just learning how to speak English. They're learning how to seize opportunities they can't see.

"There's doctors and lawyers in this room right now, guarantee," Villanueva said.

For Villanueva, this confidence isn't born from wishful thinking. It's built from experience learned first-hand.

"My parents were also farm workers, so there was a point in my life where we would travel. That's until my parents decided we need to make sure they get an education, and we're going to set our roots in Immokalee," Villanueva said.

Villanueva went on to be the first in her family to graduate from college.

"It wasn't until I saw my mom that it really hit me. She started crying, and then I started crying, and I was like, 'Woah, this is big.' Like, no one else in my family has done it," Villanueva said.

It wasn't just family cheering her on, but nonprofit "Guadalupe Center" that provides tutoring and programs for local students, helping them achieve higher education.

"Over half of them have come back to work with them in Southwest Florida, so the tri-county area has different professions, which is really cool to see," Villanueva said.

Now, she gets to guide these students in ways she needed when she was in their shoes.

Villanueva proves no matter our circumstances, and no matter the possibilities we can't see, what matters is that we're given the tools to succeed.

"I love seeing these kids grow," Villanueva said. "Like when I see all of a sudden, something clicked in them, and I'm like, oh my gosh, that's so much fun to see. I want to do it again."

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