It has been emotionally difficult to announce to the school district that I’m retiring at the end of this school year. Honestly, I would like to keep teaching for two more years because I enjoy teaching at Columbia Heights. However, for family reasons and the goal to finish a book that I’m writing about the town where I was born, I made this decision. In the three years I have been teaching here, I have had rich experiences that are unique and priceless. I feel great satisfaction being able to help immigrant students improve their futures through education, to share my culture and language with students who are learning Spanish as a second language, to announce that 90% of my AP Spanish Language and Culture students were able to pass the test and to enjoy the solidarity of the faculty in helping ELL students to succeed academically.

I, too, am an immigrant who arrived in this country at the age of 21 years old with no knowledge of English. Studying at a university in the U.S. was a difficult challenge for me. However, it was not impossible to overcome. It’s possible that my experience studying at the law school in Guatemala for four years helped me graduate. Learning a second language has helped me to have a better understanding of how difficult it is for my ELL students to master the academic language. In the three years that I have taught in CHHS, I’m proud to recognize that I was able to inspire many students to improve their academic level and the future lies on the foundation for a better future.

At the same time, it was an honor for me to share my language and culture with my students who study Spanish as a second language. I hope the knowledge helped them obtain a better job and have an open mind to understand the complexity of Latin American culture and other communities in the world.

Without a doubt, one of the most rewarding accomplishments that I had in CHHS was to inspire 90% of my AP Language and Culture to pass this test. This made me very proud of them because they showed they could succeed in the academic challenges globally. I will never forget the moment when I read those sweet grades.

My eternal admiration goes out to the CHHS faculty for their dedication, patience and energy teaching difficult concepts to ELL students. I feel blessed to have shared the last three years with them. In spite of cultural and linguistic differences, their dedication has created a better future for the ELL students.

I will miss my students, colleagues, the administration, the people working in the office and my soccer players. I’m not counting the last days because it makes me sad. However, I understand that new challenges are waiting for me. I will be visiting Ecuador, Mexico, Africa and Asia where some of my students are from. Forever CHHS. Go Hylanders!