>> WHEN I STARTED SCHOOL, I DIDN'T SPEAK ANY
ENGLISH BECAUSE MY PARENTS ONLY SPOKE SPANNING
AT HOME.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTER GREW UP JUST LIKE MY
STUDENTS; NEWCOMERS IN THE CLASS, THEY DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE AND DIDN'T KNOW THE
WHOLE PROCESS.
SO IT WAS ALL A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
WHEN I SEE THESE KIDS THAT COME IN, I TRY
TO MAKE IT WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE HOME, WHERE
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE JUDGED,
THAT THEY CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING TO
ME.
BECAUSE I SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THEM.
THEY WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING.
WHEN I WAS GO GOING TO SCHOOL, I HAD DIFFERENT
ISSUES BUT I ALWAYS REMEMBERED THAT MY BROTHERS
AND SISTERS WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT MRS.
SALAZAR WHICH IS A TEACHER THEY HAD IN WICHITA,
AND THEY SAID MY SISTER THE OLDEST ONE, MRS.
SALAZAR TOOK HER TO HER FIRST LIBRARY, SHOWED
HER HOW TO GET HER FIRST BOOK.
THAT TEACHER EXPOSED THEM TO SO MUCH MORE
THAN WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO
WITHOUT A TEACHER BEING INVOLVED.
JUST STEPPING IN AND HELPING OUT WHERE THEY,
YOU KNOW, SAW THE NEED WAS THERE.
SO HOPEFULLY I CAN BE THAT FOR SOME OF MY
STUDENTS.
WITH THE TWO PLANS THAT WE HAVE, THERE IS
A BIG MIGRANT POPULATION, WITH WHICH A LOT
OF PARENTS BECAUSE OF HAD NECESSITY THEY HAVE
IN THEIR COUNTRY, THEY COME TO LOOK FOR WORK.
I HAD KIDS FROM HONDURAS, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA,
VIETNAM, MEXICO, PUERTO RICAN, AND CUBA, ALL
IN THAT CLASS.
FOR THEM, KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE SOMEBODY
A TEACHER THAT THEY CAN SPEAK TO IN THEIR
LANGUAGE THAT LOOKS LIKE THEM MAKES IT A LOT
EASIER FOR THEM TO START SCHOOL IN A NEW COUNTRY.
IT'S HARD AT TIMES JUST BECAUSE IT'S A SMALL
COMMUNITY, SOME LATINO THAT DO WRONG THINGS
THEY BOX IN EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT IT'S LIKE EVERY CULTURE.
WE ALL HAVE OUR BAD, WE ALL HAVE OUR GOOD.
I THINK IT TAKES A PERSON THAT DOESN'T JUDGE
ONE PERSON AND ALL THEIR CULTURE.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO BETTER OURSELVES AND BE THE
EXAMPLE TO WHERE PEOPLE DON'T TALK BAD ABOUT
US.
I REMEMBER TEACHERS TELLING ME YOU NEED TO
STUDY BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T STUDY AND DO WHAT
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO END
UP AT THE PACKING PLANT LIKE THE REST OF YOU.
MY DAD IS MY HERO.
HE WORKED HARD FOR US TO HAVE WHAT WE HAD.
WHEN I HEARD TEACHERS SAYING THAT TO ME IT
WAS LIKE SO WORKING THERE IT MEANS THAT I
DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING IN LIFE?
AFTER I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I THOUGHT
I'M GOING TO BE LIKE MY DAD.
I WANT TO WORK IN KNIVES IN FABRICATION JUST
LIKE MY DAD DOES.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY I WORKED ON KNIVES
I CRIED MY HAND HURT SO BAD THAT NIGHT.
I REMEMBER CALLING MY DAD AND ASKING HIM WHAT
DO I DO?
MY HAND HURTS SO MUCH, I CAN'T STOP CRYING
OF THE PAIN.
HE TOLD ME ANGEL, I HAVE WORKED THERE AS LONG
AS I HAVE AND SUFFERED THE PAIN FOR YOU GUYS
NOT TO SUFFER.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE THERE, BUT I
WANT YOU TO BE THERE THAT WAY YOU CAN MAKE
BETTER CHOICES.
AT THAT TIME, I WAS PARTYING A LOT, I WAS
GOING TO DANCES AND CONCERTS, AND REALLY DIDN'T
KNOW IF I WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE.
I HAD THING THAT I WANTED BUT NOT REALIZING
THAT THERE'S STILL MORE ONCE YOU HAVE FAMILY
ONCE YOU KNOW DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU AT
THE TIME WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG YOU DON'T THINK
ABOUT.
AND SO NOW I TELL THE KIDS WITH THEY'RE LIKE
WE'LL JUST MAKE AT THE PLANT I GO IT'S A GOOD
JOB, IT PAY THE BILLS, BUT IF YOU HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND TO WORK
YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT NOW.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED COLLEGE, I SINGLES I
DIDN'T HAVE ANY KID OR I WASN'T MARRIED AND
SO YOU KNOW THEY'RE LIKE YOU REALLY YOU WANT
TO GO?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
I WAS LIKE I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE MY BASICS
I GUESS.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS YOUNG, I THINK IT CHANGED
MY WAY OF LOOKING AT LIFE.
I GOT MARRIED IN MARCH AND I KNEW I FOUND
OUT I WAS PREGNANT IN MAY.
WHEN I HAD MY SON IN JANUARY I KNEW THAT MY
DAD HAD PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN AN EXAMPLE FOR
US SO I HAD TO PLAY A BIG ROLE AND AN EXAMPLE
FOR MY SON.
I WAS LIKE I GOTTA DO THIS, I GOTTA MAKE MY
SON PROUD.
THAT WAY HE CAN ALSO FOLLOW.
MY DAD TOLD ME I WANT YOU TO BE BETTER THAN
ME SO I'M GOING TO TELL MY SON I WANT YOU
TO BE BETTER THAN ME.
SO THAT CHAIN REACTION WILL BENEFIT EVERYBODY
AND I ALWAYS TOLD MY SON YOUR MOMMY DID IT,
SO IF I CAN DO IT, ANYBODY CAN DO IT.
I THINK HAVING HIM REALLY, REALLY CHANGED
MY LIFE.
SOMETIMES SOME PEOPLE USE IT AS AN EXCUSE.
LIKE, OH, I GOT PREGNANT AND I GOT MARRIED
BUT IF YOU WANT SOMETHING AND YOU WANT TO
MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER, YOU CAN DO IT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT OBSTACLES COME, OR
WHAT HINDERS YOUR LIFE.
YOU CAN DO IT.
I CAME FROM A VERY, VERY POOR FAMILY THAT
DIDN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.
WE WEREN'T ACCUSTOMED TO HOW EVERYTHING WAS
HERE.
BUT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SET A GOAL AND TRY
TO MEET IT AND EXCEED IT IF POSSIBLE.
