Share your background and why it is important to you to earn your bilingual authorization.

I am a first generation Mexican-American and the first in my family to attend college and graduate with an undergraduate and graduate degree. Although I grew up with limited academic support from my family, they were able to instill in me a solid work ethic and the importance of understanding family, culture, and values.

Early on in my schooling, I kind of lost touch with the Spanish language. I was encouraged to focus on improving my English language. It wasn’t until my early adult life and my professional work as a therapist when I was able to refocus and reconnect with the Spanish language. I found a calling to work with the Latino community because this was familiar to me and I could easily identify with the population. They were like familia. Here I was able to go back and pick up where I had left off with my Spanish language. It was needed and it was highly valued. I greatly enjoyed this work. But another calling came.

Eventually, I made a transition to the educational field and became an elementary school teacher. I felt that I could be an agent of change and positive influence for more people being in a classroom. Again, I chose to work in a Latino community that reflected my neighborhood growing up. I felt like I wanted to be of service to my community and offer academic support to students on their educational paths.

After being in education for almost 8 years now, I began to recognize a need that students presented with in the classroom. Some students were caught between two worlds that left them with limited Spanish and English language abilities. I believed that I could help bridge this divide by supporting students in bilingual classrooms. To see this through, I was motivated to add the bilingual authorization to my teaching credential. I look forward to one day fulfilling my part in supporting students on their bilingual educational journey.

How do you hope that your bilingual authorization will help the next generation of students?

I hope that my bilingual authorization will help support our next generation of students to keep their Spanish language alive. As a child, I felt that I lost out on part of my connection to the Spanish language and in turn the culture. As a young adult, I tried to piece back together what I felt I lost early on. If I can help another child keep that connection with their Spanish from ever being lost and they can continue into adulthood and throughout, I’ll feel this was a success.

I want students to understand the importance of their language and culture. I would like to help them become fluent and confident with the Spanish language so that they can communicate effectively with their families and the larger surrounding Spanish speaking community in their neighborhoods. There are untapped resources of knowledge within their communities. Family and community members with stories and lived experiences to share. I want students to see the value in their community and its members. Also, being bilingual will provide additional opportunities academically and economically when they are ready to enter the working world.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Something valuable that I learned from my bilingual authorization program is that language is a living language influenced by many factors. The Spanish language that is spoken in our inner cities can include spanglish vocabulary and phrases that can be very different from those spoken in other communities. And, the Spanish that is spoken in whichever community is perfectly beautiful. Language is not static. It is constantly changing, evolving, and adapting. When we communicate with someone we make use of our full linguistic repertoire to ensure that we are heard and understood.

We communicate using words that we know, whether in English, Spanish, or Spanglish. This is translanguaging. And wherever you are in the journey of Spanish language development or acquisition, it is perfectly fine. Speak it as you know best. We celebrate and praise you. Adelante!

Updated April 01, 2025