Mixteca’s polyglot Santa
I began volunteering at Mixteca over 10 years ago in 2013. At the time, I was pursuing a bachelor's degree in linguistics from Lehman College and while I had already studied a few languages myself, I had never taught English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to anyone before. A short while later, a friend of mine invited me to a DREAM Act meeting at Mixteca, and after the meeting was over the education coordinator mentioned to the group that there were volunteer opportunities available. Somehow my friend convinced me to volunteer as an ESOL teacher with her. At first, I was nervous.. Sure, I had been a former ESOL student, tutor, and was studying Linguistics and foreign languages, but I had never taught an entire class before.
The first day of class finally came, and I remember feeling anxious , and excited at the same time. However, any negative feelings I had about myself and my abilities quickly went away. The students were so welcoming, appreciative, and eager to learn. All of my students at Mixteca hold a special place in my heart, because when I look at them, I don’t just see them as my students, but as my extended family and community. Many of them remind me of my own parents and family members just starting out in a new country and trying to find their way. For this reason, I always strive to not only make my lessons engaging, communicative, and as fun as possible, but also to always share any tips, tricks, apps, knowledge or advice with my students about language learning in general.
Having been an ESOL student myself, a child of immigrant parents, and an undocumented student, I always make sure to share with my students what I believe they should know about their children who might be in a similar situation. I share with them my life and academic experiences and how they can support their children through the process, especially sharing things I wish I had known earlier in life.
Needless to say, what started out as a volunteer opportunity eventually became my career. After teaching for some time at Mixteca I enrolled in an applied Linguistics masters program to become an ESOL instructor and I have never looked back. I love teaching and I hope to continue doing it as long as possible. Whether it’s teaching an ESOL class, conducting teacher workshops, developing a basic English course for parents and domestic workers, or simply dressing up as Santa every year, Mixteca and its community members will always hold a special place in my heart and I will continue to volunteer and be a part of the community for as long as possible.
