Andrea Velasquez was seven years old when she moved from Mexico to Monmouth. She began second grade at Monmouth-Roseville, carrying with her Spanish as her first language and only a few pieces of English. Now, as a senior, Andrea is fluent in both — and she uses her bilingual voice to help others who are walking the same path she once did.

During our conversation, I asked Andrea if she would be willing to share, in her native Spanish, what she valued most about her school and community. She paused, then leaned in with confidence: “I like this place because there are often people who need help with Spanish or English, and I like helping people. That’s what I really appreciate here, because some come from Mexico and don’t know anything, don’t know what to do. I like to help them get ahead with their classes and not feel so much pressure to learn English like my sister did.”

That moment was telling. Andrea’s willingness to answer in Spanish revealed not just pride in her roots but also a deep understanding of what it means to bridge cultures. She remembers clearly her sister’s struggles. Arriving as a teenager, her sister was left to face the challenges of learning English largely on her own. “She struggled a ton,” Andrea explains. “But she worked hard, and now she’s doing well, in banking and numbers. She paved the way for me.” Andrea admires her sister’s resilience but doesn’t want other students to face the same hardship.

So she steps in. Whether it’s helping newcomers in math class, translating assignments, or simply offering encouragement, Andrea makes sure others feel seen. “Even in math, which is supposed to be a universal language, you still need the words to explain what’s happening,” she says. “I want to make sure no one feels left out.”

Her teachers have taken note. She praises Mr. Nick Dilly and Ms. Minette as mentors who encouraged her in both art and language. In Dilly’s classroom, she often sketched during free periods, filling the whiteboard with anime-inspired drawings or experimenting with different styles. Some of her work now hangs on his wall — quiet evidence of her persistence. “Almost every kid draws when they’re little,” I point out. “But most stop. Andrea just kept drawing.”

Art remains at the center of her dreams. She hopes to pursue art education at Carl Sandburg College or perhaps follow a medical path — she’s still deciding which passion will guide her future. “I love drawing realistic things but also cartoons. Adventure Time, Steven Universe, that kind of style. I usually stick to pencil and black-and-white, but sometimes I use pastels for color.”

Music has also shaped her Monmouth-Roseville journey. She began in band as an oboist, but when she felt isolated as the only one, she switched to trumpet in seventh grade and has been part of competitions ever since.

Athletics, too, have given her outlets. Andrea ran the 800 meters in track, though COVID interrupted both her training and her lung capacity. “I just couldn’t breathe like I used to,” she recalls. She turned instead to soccer, a sport she continues to play. “Track is competing with yourself. Soccer is about teammates supporting you. It feels easier because you’re not alone.” And if the school offered tennis, Andrea says with a laugh, she’d sign up immediately.

Wherever her path leads — art, teaching, healthcare, or even military service like her stepsister — Andrea knows she will carry Monmouth’s calm, close-knit spirit with her. “It’s a small town, really chill,” she says. “You walk into a store and you know people. I might just stay here, because it feels like home.”

But her story is bigger than a single hometown. Andrea represents the beauty of Monmouth-Roseville’s diversity — a community where many languages, backgrounds, and traditions coexist, and where students like her make that coexistence work. By answering in Spanish, she reminded us that sometimes the most powerful way to speak of belonging is to do so in the language that first carried you through childhood.

Andrea Velasquez has found her voice in two languages. More importantly, she’s using it to ensure others find theirs.