Pictured: Isabel Mendez Medrano, Tabatha Camacho, and Augustus Dickens
Yanira Isabel Mendez Medrano
I am an AACPS: Employee, MacArthur Middle School
Hundreds of employees of AACPS report to work daily to make a difference in their students’ lives. Some of those employees don’t just stop there. Read below to see how a simple conversation and one employee’s relentless passion to connect with all people he meets turned the tides of one of our very own. Below is Isabel’s story:
I was an outstanding student in my country, El Salvador. I went to the University of El Salvador to study for five years to become a teacher. Although my family had low economic resources, I got a scholarship so I could finish my career. I graduated with honors in 2014 and the university selected me to teach in the public school system, a very high honor in my country. At this time, I had a stable life, all my needs were met, and I was doing what I love to do, teach.
In 2016 I was forced to relocate to the United States due to family reasons. I felt that everything I had worked so hard for was gone. I felt that I was lagging behind everyone else; I didn’t know the language and I was adjusting to a whole new culture. I was very frustrated and depressed because I felt that all my hard work was wasted and now all I was doing was focusing on fitting into my new life, not in teaching, which is my professional career. That same year, I started taking English classes in hopes that I would eventually be back in the classroom within the next ten years. In the meantime, I worked many jobs and finally landed a job as a custodian at MacArthur Middle School.
One day, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was moving some boxes on my evening custodial shift. One of the school counselors, Mr. Dickens, saw me doing this as he was about to leave for the day. He started a conversation with me because I was moving boxes and he didn’t think I should be moving them in my condition. He asked me: “Are you planning on doing this same job forever?” I told him that once my English improved, I planned on going back to teaching and he was surprised that I had a teaching degree, but not using it. He then patted me on the shoulder and stated: “We are together in this.”
The next day, Mr. Dickens found me at work and introduced me to the World and Classical Languages Department Chair, Ms. Camacho. Ms. Camacho was so excited to hear that I had a degree from my country. She brought me around to meet all the other Spanish teachers at MacArthur. The entire group of people helped me learn about what I needed to do to become a teacher in this country. I am happy to say that I have transitioned from custodian to a full time Spanish teacher here at MacArthur Middle School. I am so happy and grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of the staff and doing what I love. My job here will be a dream come true and I am very excited to start this new chapter of my life. My passion for being in the classroom with my students will be what drives me to improve every day.
