I will always call Chile home, but I think after our first year here, Fairmont is like our home now. So, we don’t have one home. Home is like the place where I do life, where I spend my time the most, the place where I can have a community that I’m part of. That’ll be home.
I grew up in a town called Temuco, Chile in the south of Chile. I had two sisters that are older than me and both of my parents. I think my childhood was pretty normal at the time– I went to public school. My childhood memories were playing outside on the block, doing fun stuff. We didn't have phones at the time, so computers weren't that popular. My family is like a big family so a lot of the time was with cousins, uncles, and aunts. Also, we were very engaged in the church in our community. We attended church and were part of events at church.
I would say my passion is teaching and school. I work at Fairmont High School. I love teaching and communicating things. I think I love–I’m a social person–I love making friends and spending time with people. I feel like I’m thriving and connecting with people, sharing food, a cup of coffee, and spending time with people. I’m grateful for the people that I’ve met in Fairmont. There are many kind and welcoming people that I’ve met. There is so much hospitality. At the high school, I think the last two to three years, some of the voices of people of color have been more heard. Their stories have been heard and told. That has changed the dynamic of what staff and students are talking about. Hearing their stories is what is changing our school for the better.
In my free time, I love traveling. Synthia & I love traveling– even to Mankato, the cities, road trips, and other cities. We like going out and trying new restaurants. I’m not like a picky eater, so I can eat a lot! Like burgers and fries. Since I was in college, I fell in love with chorrillana - fries with pork meat, chicken, onions, avocadoes, cheese. All together. It’s like a big plate that you share with everyone. It has like a fork and we eat from that. And empanadas as well. I love it!! I also love reading, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.
A challenge in my life is feeling like I fully belong to a place. The longer we live in the US, the less time we live in Chile. Life goes on when you’re not there. It’s like it’s your home country, but it is occurring. We live in a country that is so diverse racially and culturally, but it is so divided. Things can be better. We don’t want to be on a side. We want to be a bridge to make this country a better place.
We’ve taken the opportunity to grow and accomplish a dream in a way, but at the same time, we will always have challenges.