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>> Enrique: JOHN CERNA IS MY COUSIN.
HE'S THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE TOPPENISH SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> You guys, what grade you guys in?
All 5th graders? 5th graders?
>> I'm on TV!
[LAUGHTER]
Then in 2010, he got the top job, as he was named superintendent.
>> Enrique: WE'RE PART OF THE SECOND GENERATION OF CERNAS, WHO GOT THE CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND BECOME PROFESSIONALS.
WE LEFT THE FARM AND FIELDS, BUT NEVER FORGOT WHERE WE CAME FROM.
>> You guys are gonna be on tv.
>> We are?
>> Yeah.
>> Cool.
>> Enrique: IT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR JOHN.
HIS ROOTS IN TOPPENISH ARE DEEP.
>> This community is my life, I was raised here.
I guess it's almost like priceless because I chose to come back here and live here and live my life here.
So it means almost everything.
>> Let's walk.
Good job, you guys. Good job,
>> Enrique: COMING BACK AND GIVING BACK RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
HIS FATHER, THE LATE TOMAS CERNA JUNIOR, GRADUATED FROM TOPPENISH HIGH IN 1949 AND WAS WELL KNOWN HERE FOR HIS WORK ON BEHALF OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY.
JOHN AND HIS SIBLINGS ARE ALSO TOPPENISH GRADUATES.
AFTER COLLEGE, HE LANDED A TEACHING JOB HERE IN 1979.
>> I was one of the few Mexican teachers at that time.
And there were few of us in a district of over 200 teachers.
>> Enrique: JOHN BEGAN A LONG CLIMB UP THE LADDER FROM TEACHER AND COACH TO ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
PRINCIPAL TO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
>> I was a migrant kid at one time in my early, early years and always have been a farm laborer and understanding that's a tough life.
>> Enrique: TOPPENISH IS ON THE YAKAMA INDIAN RESERVATION. IT HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 9,000.
ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE OF STATE PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, WASHINGTON STATE'S LATINO STUDENT POPULATION HAS INCREASED 237% SINCE 1993.
THE TOWN IS WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS COLORFUL MURALS, DEPICTING THE HISTORY OF THE YAKAMAS, THE EARLY SETTLERS HERE, AND FARMWORKERS WHO WORKED THE FIELDS.
LIKE MANY COMMUNITIES, TOPPENISH FACES DIFFICULT CHALLENGES.
>> It's estimated that, at best, 60% of Latino students graduate within four to six years of high school.
THERE'S A HIGH RATE OF POVERTY IN THE AREA.
AND THE COMMUNITY HAS FOUGHT HARD TO CURB GANG VIOLENCE.
There are only 13% of Latinos who have a bachelor's degree in the country.
>> What are they doing?
>> They're filming you guys, you guys are gonna be stars!
>> Enrique: THE MAKE-UP OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY SINCE JOHN WAS A STUDENT HERE.
>> Whether they go on to two-year, four-year institution or university, or they go to a trade school, they have to be prepared for the real world.
>> Looks like you're getting big!
>> I am.
That's part of the engineering course.
>> Enrique: LATINOS ARE NOW MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THE STUDENT POPULATION.
KEEPING THOSE KIDS IN SCHOOL ISN'T EASY.
IT'S PART OF THE DISTRICT'S "STEM" PROGRAM AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
>> 60% of our parents have not graduated in this community. 60%.
STEM STANDS FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.
That's unreal.
FIVE YEARS AGO, JOHN CERNA WAS ENCOURAGED BY HIS NEPHEW, A FORMER NASA ENGINEER, TO LOOK INTO STEM.
>> Enrique: REDUCING THE LATINO DROP-OUT RATE IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE THROUGHOUT THE NATION ESPECIALLY WITH THE LATINO STUDENT POPULATION GROWING AT AN UNPRECEDENTED PACE.
THAT LED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT APPLYING FOR AND RECEIVING A GRANT TO IMPLEMENT STEM WITH CLASSES IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE, COMPUTER SOFTWARE, AND ENGINEERING.
THROUGH STEM, THE HIGH SCHOOL HAS CREATED AN AWARD-WINNING ROBOTICS TEAM.
And so they can an immediate impact on these kids and our community.
AND ALONG THE WAY, STUDENTS LIKE OMAR PALOMINO DISCOVERED A CAREER PATH.
>> So I want to be a mechanical engineer or somewhere along those lines.
>> Enrique: TOPPENISH IS NOW MOVING STEM INTO ITS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
IT'S ONE OF 44 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE NATION TO DO SO.
IT WILL ALSO BECOME THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WASHINGTON STATE WITH A K THROUGH 12 STEM CURRICULUM.
>> We had one kid that was a former gang ***.
I mean, he got involved in the robotics, and he took some engineering classes, and now, he's going to college.
And if he hadn't, he'd probably, might be in jail right now. Could be dead, I don't know.
But he, you know, I saw that program turn that one kid around, cause he was headed nowhere.
>> Enrique: THE EMPHASIS ON STEM HAS PAID OFF.
THE TOPPENISH GRADUATION RATE IS MORE THAN 92 PERCENT.
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON HERE THAT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
>> How long ago was that?
>> 25 years ago.
>> Long time ago.
>> Enrique: IT'S A PERSONAL CONNECTION THAT JOHN CERNA HAS PUSHED WITH HIS FORMER STUDENTS TO COME BACK AND GIVE BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.
>> I made no bones about it.
I want to hire kids that went through our system that have gone away to college that are highly qualified to come back and teach our kids.
And a lot of those young people were bi-lingual.
Or you're go to do your English?
>> I felt that I could make a difference by coming back.
>> Enrique: VERONICA ROMERO AND ENRIQUE ROMERO AREN'T RELATED.
BUT THEY ARE JOHN CERNA'S FORMER STUDENTS.
THEY ARE NOW PART OF THE TOPPENISH HIGH SCHOOL STAFF.
>> It's helped me in the classroom because I know, I know the kids and I know their family.
I know their struggles.
>> All of this needs to be done by next Friday.
>> Enrique: ENRIQUE TEACHES STEM CLASSES.
>> And let's make sure you have the right classes that you need to take.
Yes?
Information to a lot of our families that they have no idea where to get the resources.
>> Enrique: VERONICA IS A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR WHO WORKS WITH HIGH-RISK STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
>> Just providing a lot of
>> No, not that one.
Not the first four.
Not just as students, but as leaders in the community?
>> Enrique: AND OFTEN THAT MEANS WORKING WITH PARENTS WHO ONLY SPEAK SPANISH.
>> And the parent says, Como, como, es que no sabes que hacer?
O que lo que vas hacer?
Porque no, porque no te haces como maestro, como Señor Romero?
Aqui, el se recibió de aqui.
You know, why don't you become like Mr. Romero?
He graduated from Toppenish.
You know, he's a teacher.
I feel a sense of responsibility because now the parent is saying, look, Mr. Romero, he comes from your background.
You know, he's a good role model for you.
Why don't you follow his example?
>> Enrique: Are you the new generation that will make the difference in developing these young people?
And that's what a lot of our students are doing with us now.
>> Yeah, I think so, I think
Kids need to be able to see themselves in somebody else that they see as a role model and then be able to picture themselves at a higher capacity.
>> When Mr. Cerna was here, we were able to build that relationship with him.
[cheering]
¶¶
>> If I could mold some more young people that are gonna become administrators in the future in this community, and maybe take over some day, and they have that same passion and the same expectations, then I've done my job. 00:06:46.901, ¶¶