What were your favorite hobbies when you were little?

"When I was little, I liked a lot of them. Playing softball, riding a bicycle, playing, pretending that I was a chef and that I had my own cooking show on TV. My little friends were the cameramen lol. I also liked to do men's things, for example: do construction work and work with heavy machinery. However, what fascinated me the most was dancing, dancing, and dancing."

How was your arrival in the United States? What helped you adapt?

"My arrival in the United States was interesting. I thought the United States was the best. I thought that since I get here, I was going to be rich. I also had a very strong culture shock because I saw that people were so deferential to what I was used to. I felt a lot of anxiety and despair because I wanted to go to my country. I cried a lot and lived with a lot of depression. Sometimes I got a lump in my throat that I couldn't even swallow. Adapting to this country has been very difficult for me for many reasons. Among them, the cold, the system, and the fact that I'm not at home, I always want to leave. However, after I had my children I have gotten used to it a little, however, that does not change that I want to return to my country in the not-too-distant future."

 How has your career been as a bilingual teacher? Tell me what you are most passionate about being a teacher.

"My career as a bilingual teacher has been the best and the best thing that has happened to me in my life apart from my children. I would say it's in second place. Working with my people, supporting them, and giving them the teaching that my students deserve for me is priceless. I love teaching Spanish class because being bilingual in this country is priceless. I love teaching history class in Spanish because in this way my students can learn about their culture, understand it in detail and expand their cultural knowledge. But above all, what I am most passionate about is when I can compare the academic growth that my students have had throughout the school year. I like to celebrate the achievement of my students, and of course, share it with their relatives."

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?

"Watching reruns of Schitt's Creek."

What do you really wish you knew when you were younger?

"The importance of listening to your inner voice and knowing that you are enough."

 What is one of your hidden talents?

"I like to cook." 

 Looking back on your life, what have you done that has given you the most satisfaction?

"I wrote, produced, and starred in my own feature film, The David Dance, which is on Amazon Prime. It was in film festivals all over the world, won some awards, and it gave me the opportunity to travel." 

When was the last time you had a gut feeling about something that turned out to be correct?

"When I decided to teach. I love directing students in plays and inspiring them about storytelling and drama. Please come see our production of Scenes From 'A Raisin in the Sun' or  'The Women of Raisin' in the school auditorium on Thursday, January 12th."

What is one fact about you that would make students surprised to find out about you?

"By the time I graduated high school, I had 200 cuts [skipping classes] and I was originally going to be an engineer."

Do you have any hidden talents?

"I'm a really good cook. As of now I enjoy cooking tofu."

If you can create one law, what would it be and why?

"Abolish the electoral college. It would make voting for president and for representatives more fair and based on popular vote over our current system."

Did you always want to be an educator? If not, what was your dream job as a child?

"In high school I wanted to become an educator, inspired by my Global I teacher who was very fun and made school entertaining. As a child, my dream job was becoming a scientist."