‘I felt I had no sense of control’
Will Cordero’s life ping-pongs again thanks to COVID-19, but his support system now is solid
Much of Will Cordero’s childhood resembled that of a ping pong ball: back and forth between different school districts, back and forth between his birth family and foster care.
“I was not planning to graduate high school,” he said. “I was planning to sign myself out [of foster care] at 18, or have my parents sign meout at 16 and then start working for my family.”
However, Cordero found a home four years ago in Dingmans Ferry with Diane and Jerry Krupski, who fostered his need and desire for a better, wellrounded life.
The now 17-year-old went from failing grades to the honor roll. He went from nearly dropping out of school to planning to attend Millersville University after graduating this spring from East Stroudsburg North High
School.
Cordero went from being an inactive, 240-pound seventh grader to a 160-pound, threesport athlete with a strong core of friends and a girlfriend.
Wresting is his favorite sport. It came at the right time.
“I felt I had no sense of control,” he said. “Wrestling
helped me gain some sense of control in my life.”
Cordero was looking forward to his final high school season on coach Matt Hogan’s Timberwolves wrestling team.
But like every other student in the East Stroudsburg Area School District, Cordero’s daily routine changed.
The ESASD board voted last month to move to an all-virtual learning modelanddelaythestart of all winter sports practices until Jan. 15 at the earliest because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Northampton and Bethlehem last week were the latest to join ESASD with all-virtual learning through at least Jan. 8, as the nationwide deathtoll is approaching 300,000 since the pandemic began.
Meanwhile:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said in lateNovemberto“closethe bars and keep the schools open.”
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control shows the proportion of emergency department visits related to mental health crises has increased significantly for young children and adolescents since the pandemic started.
Many polls and studies the last six months have shown a growing number of children experiencing emotional or mental harm because of school closings and social distancing measures.
Cordero, who was the sophomore class president and last year’s student school board representative, sent an email Nov. 17 to the ESASD school board asking it to at least reconsider allowing sports practices to continue.
“[Sports] gives athletes a safe haven and a wayto express themselves,” he wrote. “... This could be a way for our talented athletes [who] come up from a rough family background [like myself ] to get outofthesituation they’re in and make a name for themselves in college,” he wrote. “For some, this is their way to pay for college or maybe their only way to go to college.”
ESASD board president Richard Schlameuss emailed a response later that day.
“Just as you have had to overcome enormous challenges, we too, had to reaffirmreally difficult decisions that affect our whole community,” Schlameuss wrote. “Our district health and safety plan was designed to provide the most positive outcome for our community, which is to keep as many people from getting sick as possible. It’s not fair that our winter sports have beenimpacted so drastically. It’s also not fair that once again COVID is at our doorstep, raking our nation and swampingourhealthcaresystems.
“Now I need your help. In order for the district to resume in person classes and permit the resumption of winter athletics, I need your help communicating to the public that it is time to mask up, social distance [even in light of the holidays when so much of the season is about being together] and for each of us to do our part to reduce the spread of COVID. The decisions we [you, me, and the community] make now, today, tomorrow, and over the next several weeks will determine our options in mid January to re-open.”
Thesituationhasnotimproved. On Nov. 17, Monroe County reported187newCOVID-19cases, including 29amongchildrenages 1-19. On Dec. 11, there were 645 cases, including 98 children.
Thesituation is far fromoptimal for Cordero, who played football in the fall and plans on participating again in track and field in the spring?
“I don’t know where I’d be without wrestling,” he said. “I’m really upset.”
Corderofindsstrength, though, knowingwherehewasandwhere he was headed before finding the Krupskis, the East Stroudsburg North community and sports.
According to the Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association, he is among nearly 15,000 children each year in the state in foster care.
He first lived with his parents and six siblings in Stroudsburg. He often had to choose between school and making money so he would not have to go to a soup kitchen for meals.
Cordero then went into foster care and attended school in the Pleasant Valley School District before returning to his parents.
“By eighth grade, I felt I had no sense of control,” he said.
Cordero moved to Dingsman
Ferry with the Krupskis. There he found a new path thanks to a consistent, hard push from his newfoster family whoinsisted on good academic habits.
He also developed strong relationships with peers at East Stroudsburg North, including Mario Penisi, Anthony Rossi and Madison Rose.
“They helped mefit in, feel like I waspart of something,” Cordero said.
Healsoconnectedwithcoaches and teachers.
East Stroudsburg North varsity wrestling coach Matt Hogan was ajuniorhighcoachwhenCordero first joined the program in eighth grade.Hoganknowsthechallenge wrestling brings to everyone. He also took the time to get to know Cordero. He is thrilled to see the person he’s become.
“Wrestling is a job, not just a sport in my opinion,” Hogan said. “Half the kids don’t make it through high school. You hope and pray they do. You keep pushing, give them confidence.
“Will loved it from the get-go. He needed wrestling and wrestling needed him. He’d wrestle every day if he could.”
Cordero’s determination was showing in the classroom, too. Hesaid his grades were in the 50s and 60s before coming to East Stroudsburg North. By the end of eighth grade, he was recommendedforAPhonorsclasses.He also hasearnedcollege credit with high school classes he’s taken.
Ninth-grade social studies teacher Jon Serfoss said Cordero’s strong interest in politics and current events came through in He’s always there for you whentheir class discussions. Serfoss ever you need something.” added that his ‘A’ student did Cordero is going to college everything he could to fit in. through the Fostering Indepen
“He always was involved, not dence Through Education Act, secluded,” Serfoss said. “Some of which was passed into law last the other students formed relayear. It waives tuition for youth tionshipswithpeerssincethetime who were in foster care at age 16 they wereinkindergarten. I know or older, including those whohave that he probably had to workvery “aged out” of the system or been hard to come from the place he adopted. came from to make friends. All Pennsylvania colleges and
“It was easier for him because universities, including public, he decided to become involved in private, community colleges and class discussions, athletics, class state-related schools accept the offices. He’s an incredible kid.” waivers, which also cover college
Cordero thought he’d have application fees and can be used to be placed with another foster for up to five years or until a familyintheinterimandmisstime student reaches age 26. during wrestling season whenthe For now, Cordero is grinding Krupskis traveled last year for a through online learning until family funeral. in-person education returns and
But the Hogans opened their wrestling practice begins. door to him for those two weeks. A support system that includes
“We talked to his case worker, foster parents, friends andcoaches whodidallthebackgroundchecks gives him a fighting chance. and OK’d it for him to stay with I told [the Millersville wrestling us,” Hogan said. “We have four coach] Will would be a great asset children of our own. They loved to the team whether or not he him. It wasapleasure to have him cracked the lineup,” Matt Hogan with us.” said. “I told him [Will] has a great
Cordero and Dylan Hogan, attitude and that he’ll never miss Matt’s only son, developed a a practice unless he’s got anexam. friendship while having classes Heonly missed one practice here, together in eighth grade andbeing and that was because of a court wrestling teammates. They grew date. closer during those two weeks. “He works hard. He’ll do that
“He definitely changed his in everything in life. He is going mindset with wrestling,” Dylan to succeed, go places, make Hogan said. “Hewasiffy whenhe differences in other kids’ lives. first started, but now he’s deterHe’ll be a great father, husband.” mined. He is focused and doesn’t let people distract him. Healways stays on a routine. That’s helped him a lot.
“He teaches me a lot of things.