On the Bright Side: Rep. Delgado meets with students at Worcester Central School

WORCESTER — Students at Worcester Central School chatted about schoolwork, basketball, dance parties and more with U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

The students were in a program called the Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership, which is a grant-funded consortium of fourteen small rural schools that provide after school and summer programming, according to Program Manager Liz Forster.

“We want to expose kids to things that they lack in rural areas like performing arts and visual arts,” Forster said. “They don’t have access to (these) in their rural areas, so instead we bring it to their small schools.”

With only an hour before he had to set out to another event, Delgado visited different classrooms where he learned about penguin blubber, got serenaded for his upcoming birthday and received student-made works of art, which he promised to hang on the wall of his office in Washington, D.C.

Ariana Lengel, 9, asked Delgado what the hardest part of his job was. Without hesitation, Delgado said that it was being away from Maxwell and Coltrane, his twin sons.

“I love being a dad and sometimes, a lot of times, I can’t always be home because I have to go somewhere else to do my job,” Delgado said. “I don’t work where my family lives. It’s constant travel. That’s not easy sometimes. But I tell myself I’m getting to do really important work that’s going to help my kids, so it all kind of works out.”

Delgado in a media release said he was thankful for the firsthand opportunity to see the work CROP was doing for young people in rural communities like Worcester. The congressman has expressed support for ensuring resources for such programs. 

“It’s great to connect with the kids and see how they’re benefiting,” Delgado said at the end of his visit.

The excitement was mutual. The students were starstruck before Delgado even arrived, according to CROP Activity Leader Ann Hogan.

“When they spotted him out the door, they were in here squealing like it was Elvis coming to visit,” Hogan said.

Third-grader Ceceilia Eager said she was really excited when she saw the congressman coming down the hallway. Students remarked how tall he was and how it was fun getting to ask him questions. 

“I was feeling kind of, a little nervous and excited,” said third-grader Bryan Hogan, adding that his nerves disappeared once he got to talk to Delgado. “I never knew a lot of special people.”   

Shweta Karikehalli, staff writer, can be reached at skarikehalli@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221. Follow her @DS_ShwetaK on Twitter.