A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Bilingual skills take Boone County Public Library’s Adriana Silva from Mexico to Northern Kentucky


Being bilingual has many advantages, and for Adriana Silva, it paved the path for her future.

Silva was born and raised in Mexico living there until she was thirty. With her mom being from America (Texas) and her Dad being from Mexico, Adriana was brought up speaking both languages and loving both cultures.

Adriana Silva with her husband and daughter at Niagara Falls (provided photos).

She has always celebrated, with respect, Independence Day for both countries on July 4 and September 16. Silva’s Mom was committed to teaching her daughters about America and making them feel a part of the country.

She had many American friends in Mexico that Adriana interacted with and planned at least one trip a year to visit with Adriana’s grandparents in Texas.

Silva is the middle child of two sisters that together created a close childhood bond. Because of the year round nice weather, the sisters spent most of their childhood outdoors hiking, swimming, biking and just getting dirty.

Scouts played an active role in her childhood and the members became additional siblings in an extended family for Silva to grow up with. It was a mix of both boys and girls that participated in many outdoor adventures that required roughing it.

Living near the mountains, the Scouts would regularly hike and climb with backpacks looking for a perfect spot to camp. No family campsites and no indoor activities for this group!

After Silva graduated from high school, she was highly sought after to teach the English language.

Coming from two parents that were teachers and deciding she wanted more, Silva continued to teach English while earning a Bachelors in Pedagogy.

In 2000, Silva married in Mexico. Shortly after, her parents and sisters moved to the United States for job opportunities.

In 2006, after her daughter turned one, Silva followed her family to the United States with her husband and daughter. Eventually all but one sister landed in Northern Kentucky.

When Silva saw that the Florence Branch of Boone County Public Library was looking for a bilingual person, she knew it was the perfect fit with her experience and degree.

Silva with her family celebrating her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.

She has been with BCPL now for 12 years as a Youth Services Associate determining what the community needs and planning age appropriate programs to meet the need. Her favorite part of working at BCPL is the opportunity to work with the Hispanic community.

She runs the Spanish Storytimes, family programs and Hispanic outreach. One-on-one meetings with Spanish speaking adults allows her to help with resumes, immigration forms, school paperwork, printing documents, translations, etc.

Every day is different as Silva offers a sense of comfort to those trying to settle into a new area.

In her spare time, Silva enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. She truly enjoys just being a Mom and is very close to her daughter. They take long walks, visit various parks, watch movies and enjoy being outdoors.

They recently took an amazing road trip to Niagara Falls and then headed to Boston where they met up with Silva’s family to celebrate her parents’ 50th Anniversary. Although they enjoyed all the historical sites, their favorite was the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth. 

It was a trip they will never forget.

For Silva, being bilingual gave her an upper hand in the job market when graduating high school, an academic advantage through college, a better understanding of a different culture and ease of moving to another country. 

The Florence Branch has a great resource for Spanish speaking people looking to understand English, and Silva is there to help.

Boone County Public Library


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