There was a time when no one noticed if Martha Olivarez was around or not.  Now, if she’s gone for even a day, there are lots of frowns and questions of when she’s coming back.  The 26-year- old Kansas City woman has definitely come a long way in the past 10 years and her journey began with a helping hand from CFC agencies.

Martha Olivarez on the job.

At the age of 15, Martha was reckless and naive. She was a child from a broken marriage.  Her mother worked long hours to support their family of four.  It wasn’t long before Martha started hanging out with the wrong crowd and began skipping school.  Her “friends” were involved with gangs where drugs and violence were part of everyday life.  It was just a matter of time before she too ended up in trouble.  It happened while she was still in eighth grade.

A guy who was high on drugs stabbed Martha and tried to rape her.  She fought him off, but ended up in the hospital for two weeks.  When she finally went back to school, Martha realized most of her teachers didn’t even realize she had been gone.  Martha said, “It really bothered me.  I wondered if anybody even cared about what happened to me.”  But just when things seemed bleakest, Martha’s life changed.

She saw a TV news story about Alta Vista Alternative School , co-sponsored by Guadalupe Center and De La Salle Education Center, both CFC agencies.  When she went to check it out Martha was amazed by what she found.  “The kids were friendly, the classes were small and the teachers obviously cared.  If students missed a day, the counselors were calling their home to find out what was wrong.” 

As a student at Alta Vista, Martha discovered how much fun learning can be.  “When I didn’t understand something, my teachers were right there to help me.  And when a counselor who lived in our neighborhood saw me riding a city bus to school, she insisted I ride to school with her.  My grades went from C’s and D’s to A’s and B’s.”  In fact, Martha did so well that after two years at Alta Vista she was awarded a full scholarship to Bishop Miege High School . 

While attending Miege, Martha didn’t forget the closeness she felt at Alta Vista.  It prompted her to get involved in tutoring younger students in math and science in Guadalupe Center ’s Academia del Pueblo after- school program. But her story doesn’t end there.

After graduating from Miege, Martha enrolled in college and began studying Early Childhood Development.  She took time off to work as an AmeriCorps volunteer, which helped her earn tuition towards college.  She is still pursuing her education as a part-time student and working full time as well.  Her love of children has led her back to Guadalupe Center, where she is now the Director of Plaza de Ninos preschool.   Martha supervises a staff of 15 and is responsible for 100 children.  She knows each of their names.  She also knows that CFC agencies are still touching her life and the lives of children in her preschool.