"Education is Synonymous To Freedom and Education"-My Grandfather
As a child, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Some of my first memories as a child were always stealing my parents bills and papers and making piles on a small, pink table I had that I pretended was my desk. I would line up my "students", in this case any teddy bears and dolls I could find and get them ready for "class to begin". During my class "sessions", I would read to my "students", sing and grade their papers. Something my parents were never to happy about as I was making marking all over their very important papers. The one person who also made me want to be a teacher was my grandmother. I will go deeper in another post why she was such a major contribution to my life and education.
Both my parents migrated to the United States from Ecuador. My dad came to Washington D.C. in late 1980 while my mom followed the next year. My dad and mom both came from very different socio-economic backgrounds. My dad came from very humble beginnings and never had the chance to have a real childhood, as he worked from a young age to help his family out. My mom was raised in a very privileged family, allowing her to travel, never truly knowing what it was to suffer when it came to knowing were your next meal would come and had the privilege of going to school and attending college. How did two people from different worlds collide? Fate (and Church).
Parents 1990, Washington D.C.
Despite my parents coming from different backgrounds it did not really matter to my maternal grandparents as most people would think. This was because my grandfather also came from very humble beginnings and worked hard for all he had. He managed to get his way through school and become a doctor. He wanted for my dad to better himself and also have the chance to get an education. When my mom came to the USA it was on a student visa. My dad could not get a visa and yes he came here illegally. Eventually my parents wed and when my mom got her residency so did my dad. My dad was able to go school and start his own business. Since I really never grew up with necessities, I knew I had to excuses for not succeeding. I was healthy, had supportive parents, had a roof and meal everyday and was given all the tools for success. I was taught by my parents especially my dad about appreciating everything I had since I had such an amazing story of how someone who was raised with so little could succeed.
When my dad found out I was going to school to be an educator he was thrilled. He told me that he would be proud with whatever career I chose as long as a aimed to make a difference. "What is worth making millions of dollars if on the inside you have no value" is what my dad always told my sister and me. He told me he would rather I be at home that be a hypocrite at my job pretending to know what it actually means to be an educator and the responsibility it entails.
He always told me of a teacher he had who would bring him candy on Fridays. That small act of kindness is something he still remember to this day. He said he really looked forward to going to school not for the candy its self but for the way the gesture made him feel. It is something I want to do for my students not for me but as a thank you to the teacher who gave my dad a small piece of his childhood he was robbed due to poverty. How could I be a teacher and not care about my students? It is not about showing up and teaching them the ABC's or 123's. A computer could do that job; it is about personal interacting beyond an academic level and make an impact on someones life.
If there was one thing my parents learned from my maternal grandparents, that was passed on to my mom was that, "Education is synonymous to FREEDOM and HAPPINESS". This is something that has been engraved in my head since the very beginning of my childhood. I may not have really understood what that saying meant when I was younger but as I started to delve into my career choice I finally started to grasp what the saying meant. Through many life experience which I plan to unfold in other postings, I was able to understand and learn why an education holds such significance. These were turning points and influences in my life that have made a significant contribution. I consider these people and events a blessing, as it has helped shape my view on education and the world. They also have helped me form meanings to my current position as a New Century College Student at George Mason University.
When my dad found out I was going to school to be an educator he was thrilled. He told me that he would be proud with whatever career I chose as long as a aimed to make a difference. "What is worth making millions of dollars if on the inside you have no value" is what my dad always told my sister and me. He told me he would rather I be at home that be a hypocrite at my job pretending to know what it actually means to be an educator and the responsibility it entails.
He always told me of a teacher he had who would bring him candy on Fridays. That small act of kindness is something he still remember to this day. He said he really looked forward to going to school not for the candy its self but for the way the gesture made him feel. It is something I want to do for my students not for me but as a thank you to the teacher who gave my dad a small piece of his childhood he was robbed due to poverty. How could I be a teacher and not care about my students? It is not about showing up and teaching them the ABC's or 123's. A computer could do that job; it is about personal interacting beyond an academic level and make an impact on someones life.
Grandfather graduating from Medical School
If there was one thing my parents learned from my maternal grandparents, that was passed on to my mom was that, "Education is synonymous to FREEDOM and HAPPINESS". This is something that has been engraved in my head since the very beginning of my childhood. I may not have really understood what that saying meant when I was younger but as I started to delve into my career choice I finally started to grasp what the saying meant. Through many life experience which I plan to unfold in other postings, I was able to understand and learn why an education holds such significance. These were turning points and influences in my life that have made a significant contribution. I consider these people and events a blessing, as it has helped shape my view on education and the world. They also have helped me form meanings to my current position as a New Century College Student at George Mason University.
My Maternal Grandmother (Teacher) and Grandfather (Doctor)
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