Featured Student: Sherling Garcia Vargas

WIDA has partnered again with Centro Hispano of Dane County for their Escalera summer internship program. Centro Hispano is a non-profit in Madison, WI that supports Latinx communities in Madison and surrounding areas. WIDA was lucky to have Sherling Garcia Vargas as the 2025 summer intern.

Let’s get to know Sherling through a conversation (which has been edited for clarity and length) with WIDA staffers Erika Rosales Garcia and Jason Kemp.

Erika: Sherling, do you want to tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sherling: My name is Sherling. I grew up in Nicaragua, and currently I go to East High School. I'm going to be a senior this year.

Erika: ¿Qué es lo que te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?

Sherling: Me gusta escuchar música o jugar videojuegos con mi hermanito. Me gusta todo tipo de música, pero me gusta mucho escuchar The Smiths y Luis Miguel. A mi hermanito le gusta jugar videojuegos de Wii y también jugamos Mario Kart.

Jason: What are some of the classes you enjoy in school, and what do you like about them, Sherling?

Sherling: I really like science classes just because I get to do labs and work with my classmates. Sometimes it's hard to talk to [other students], and doing labs is a good way to get to know them. I also really like math, even though I have a hard time [with it]. But it's really exciting when I finally understand something.

Jason: That's how I feel about math as well. Do you have a favorite area of science?

Sherling: Last year, I took Anatomy and Physiology, and I really liked that class. We got to do dissections, and it was really kind of gross, but fun.

Erika: What does it mean for you to be multilingual, Sherling?

Sherling: To me, it's like being in two different worlds, but kind of connected to each other. When I meet someone who's also bilingual, I feel like I’m free to express myself in whatever language I want. And I feel like it's also an interesting experience, because—at least the way my brain works is some things that I've learned in Spanish, I have to translate them into English, and vice versa.

Jason: So, Sherling, you talked a little bit about what it means for you to be a multilingual person ¿Nos puedes contar un poquito más de tu experiencia como multilingüe? ¿Cómo se ve esto en tu comunidad, en la escuela y en tu familia?

Sherling: Cuando estoy con mi familia, por lo general hablamos español. Con mi hermanito tal vez a veces hablo inglés porque él también está aprendiendo entonces es como una forma de practicar. [En] otros lugares, como la escuela y el programa Escalera, tiendo a usar ambos, dependiendo la ocasión o si se me olvida una palabra.

Erika: What experiences, if any, have you had where your ideas, voice, and cultural and linguistic practices have been centered and uplifted?

Sherling: I'm a student leader for Raza United. Raza is mostly for Hispanic or Latino students, but anyone can go if they want to learn about our culture. We get together, and we try to do things like volunteer at local elementary schools and read bilingual books to the students. We also do sustainability projects and host cultural events. That’s a space where I get to advocate for myself and for others who are also multilingual. And recently, we have had renovations in the school, and we needed a place to display a mural for Hispanic Heritage Month, and I got to advocate for that, and we really made a change. They opened a space for us to share with other multicultural clubs.

Jason: Sherling, could you maybe talk a little bit about the project that you've been working on at WIDA with me and Alicia as part of your internship?

Sherling: So, I've been developing a student-friendly resource so students can get a better idea of their score report [on WIDA ACCESS]. And it's been really fun working with you and Alicia. I really like the feedback that you give to me. I’ve learned a lot about WIDA because I feel like the ACCESS test, prior to doing this internship, was something that I just thought of the one day that I take the test. And now I understand why I have to take it.

Jason: Yeah, thank you and thank you for your contributions. We are really looking forward to learning what other students think about this resource. And hopefully, this is something we'll be able to implement in the very near future. Could you share with us what this summer has been like for you? WIDA has just been one part of a busy few months for you.

Sherling: This summer has been really busy. I think the only free time I had was during the first week of summer. After that I started preparing for the ACT. I've been trying to dedicate time to completing my assignments and preparing for tests. And after I got done with the ACT, I started to work on my apprenticeship. And right now, I'm doing a mix of everything. I'm going to retake the ACT because I want a higher score, and I think I can improve. And I'm preparing for my final presentation with Centro Hispano.

Erika: You’re a very motivated, organized and focused young person. What keeps you motivated, and have you always been this organized and motivated? What gives you the inspiration for that?

Sherling: It’s the way that my mom raised me, and I've been carrying on like that since I was little. Because in Nicaragua, the way to go to university is completely different. You have to take a test, and if you pass the test you go into university, if you don't, you have to wait for another year, and I didn't want to wait. I feel like I have my life mapped out. I like to try to stick to it and do the best I can.

Erika: I'm sure your mom is very proud.

Jason: Sherling, ¿hay algo más que te gustaría compartir con nosotros? ¿Con WIDA?

Sherling: Estoy muy agradecida por esta oportunidad y por haberles conocido, y me ha gustado mucho trabajar con ustedes.

Jason: Ha sido un verdadero placer.

Erika: ¡Igualmente, Sherling!