Newburgh Futures: Recent Episodes
David Gallagher
Welcome to the Newburgh Futures Podcast. Newburgh Futures is a project that uses the power of story to build community and imagine futures locally here in Newburgh and more broadly in communities across the country. The podcast is a project of […]
Our first podcast series will bring you the talks from the Guest Speaker series at Newburgh Free Academy, West Campus High School. In the first episode, Dr. Roberto Padilla shares how fear and addiction led to his success. Dr. Padilla grew up in Newburgh, N.Y. and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy (NFA), the local public high school. Dr. Padilla was in foster care when young and experienced a lot of moving around in the city. When he was in 10th grade, Dr. Padilla’s two close friends were murdered within 3 months of each other. After losing his two friends in high school, he became dedicated to learning and succeeding in school for the first time in his life.
Dr. Padilla went on to attain his bachelors in Education and his masters and Ph. D. from Fordham University. He has been a teacher, coach, vice principal, and principal. Dr. Padilla returned to Newburgh and is now the Superintendent of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Dr. Padilla shares with the NFA West students his passion for learning and his belief in their ability to, like him, "set a new course for yourself."