Rosa Garcia grew up in Moreleón, Guanajuato in Mexico. Her career at Padua started at the Italian Festival, when Brother Mike noticed her work ethic and offered her a job. She’s been here ever since, cleaning bathrooms, setting up chairs, and whatever else is necessary to get Padua ready for its students. She says, “It’s mostly maintenance work. It never bores me because I like it, and when you enjoy something, it makes the time go faster. There’s just so much hair everywhere though!”

Difficulties arise for Rosa regarding language. Her English is not perfect. She says, “It’s very difficult. I can get the gist of what people are saying to me, but sometimes I get lost, especially working with people who don’t speak my language. My English has improved throughout the years, but it is still not fluent. Having someone to translate for me takes away some of that anxiety.”

Family is a key theme in Rosa’s life. As a mother of four girls ranging from ages 25 to 5, she is surrounded by women. Her 18 year old is a senior at Delcastle High School and her 5 year old attends Academia Antonia Alanso, a bilingual elementary school located in Wilmington. She views the Padua community as a family, saying, “You girls are the future of this world. Work hard, because you are what comes next.”