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Voices from MCPS on Hispanic Heritage Month

We sent a few emails to some colleagues and students with a request for them to share their perspectives for Hispanic Heritage Month. They had two days to respond! We could not have expected the powerful submissions that you will see and hear when you click on Voices from MCPS. We felt so privilaged as each new story arrived in our emails with videos done at kitchen tables, a poem, a racial biography, and an original song. We are grateful for the generosity, vulnerbility, and beauty of our colleagues and students.

Understanding their stories requires us to explore our experiences as well. If you haven't done so already, we encourage you do go through our Cycle of Socialization online module. We'd love to hear what you discover.

We hope that you will listen to these stories with your colleagues and share with your students. Please use the following questions to reflect:

  • How are these stories similar or different from yours?
  • In what ways do the stories provide you opportunities to make connections to the experiences of your Latino students or colleagues?
  • What are some implications for your practice in connection to the educational experiences of your Latino students or colleagues?

Karla Silvestre

Karla Silvestre is a member of the Board of Education and the former Latino Liason for the County Executive. Read Karla's story.

Ms. Yulisa Cruz

Ms. Yulisa Cruz is a Special Education Resource Teacher at Kemp Mill Elementary School. Please watch her video.

Natalia Ahn

Natalia Ahn is the General Council for MCPS. Listen to her story.

Ronald Lucena

Ronald Lucena is an instructional specialist on the Bilingual Assement Team. Watch Ron's story.

America Arismendi Ruiz

America Arismendi Ruiz is a grade 12 student at Montgomery Blair High School. Read her reflections on Hispanic Heritage Month.

Oliver Renato Fajardo

Oliver Renato Fajardo is an Instructional Assessment Specialist on the Bilingual Assessment Team at Rocking Horse Road Center. Watch Oliver's video below.

Alicia Deeny

Alicia Deeny is the principal of Takoma Park Middle School. Watch her story.

Evelyn Lemus-Romero

Evelyn Lemus-Romero is a 9th grade student at Albert Einstein High School. Click the button to read her poem, Yo so de...

Ernie Padilla

Ernie Padilla is a Spanish Teacher and the Eighth Grade Team Leader at Gaithersburg Middle School. Click the button to read Ernie's story.

Joseph Begazo

Joseph Begazo graduated from Wheaton High School in 2018. Please watch to his story.

Norma Villavicencio

Norma Villavicencio is the Staff Development Teacher at Brown Station Elementary School. Please watch Norma's story of being "Neither her nore there".

Geovany Rivera

Geovany Rivera is an 11th grade student at Montgomery Blair High School. Geovany is a talented singer destined for American Idol!

He sings one of the most famous songs of iconic Mexican artist Jose Jose. Lo Pasado es Pasado is a love song about relinquishing the past and celebrating a new found love. Watch Geovany's performance below.

Rodrigo Godínez

Rodrigo Godínez is an Instructional Specialist in the Division of CARES Act, Early Childhood, and Title I.

"This is an original song I wrote. It's named "Me Voy" and it's about leaving one's homeland to follow one's dreams of freedom, and at the same time being torn about it. It translates to 'I Leave' or 'I'm Leaving.'

I found it appropriate for the sentiment most of us felt leaving our country of origin and traveling into the unknown. It's a rock song... I never completed the track until now... it's been sitting in my hard drive for 15 years.'

Created By
John Landesman
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