Manuel Mendoza

It was my first year of high school and of course being a freshman, I didn't know what I was walking into. Mr. Mendoza was not only my teacher but also he has been both of my parents' teacher, and also aunt and uncle's teacher. I disliked my freshman year because I didn't really have a teacher who cared, I didn't understand several of my classes and also I wasn't the brightest student. Several teachers gave up on me, a board member has even told me that my best bet was dropping out of school and "getting a job like a real man." Also at home, I was told daily in a thousand different ways that I was worthless and that I wouldn't succeed in life. However, that all changed when I walked into Mr. Mendoza's classroom. I was tired and I just wanted to go to lunch as it was my third period class before lunch. I walked into a funky class with a wild teacher that actually wanted to BE a teacher. As soon as I walked into his class, I felt the love and warmth the teacher had for his students. He shook my hand and welcomed me with a huge smile that brightened up my day. Everyone would tell me that I was crazy for taking Mendoza's class. They said that Mendoza was a really hard teacher and that I should drop his class immediately. However, in my head I thought to myself, if only you knew how great of a teacher he was. Every day he welcomed us with his daily run around the classroom saying, "Vamos Panteras porque nos gana Santa Teresa, Chaparral, Las Cruces, Centennial, etc." This would translate to, "Let's go Panthers because Santa Teresa, Chaparral, Las Cruces, and Centennial high school will beat us." So therefore Mendoza had high expectations for us and therefore he knew that we would achieve them. Mr. Mendoza had a lot on his plate. He taught native and non-native Spanish 1 and 2 classes and was also the Spanish AP teacher for the school. However, he still had time for each of his students. Mr. Mendoza was the person to go to when the school had fundraisers. For example, I was in the JROTC program and we always had fundraisers. Mr. Mendoza had a lot of us for class but you get that he would buy something from each one of us even if it was one thing. Mr. Mendoza's class required lots of presentations so therefore he required a USB drive for his class. When he noticed that the students in my class could not buy the item, he bought one from each and every one of the students. Also when we had really big exams or tests, he would purchase burritos, juice, cookies, etc. for us. When I had asked him why he would do this, he responded that he did not know if we were on an empty stomach, so therefore, by doing this, he knew we were not hungry and that we would focus 100 percent on our work and achieve. As I said, Mr. Mendoza had high expectations for us and would work 100 percent for us until he knew that we were giving it our all. This was not only for our class but for every class we had. When I was having issues with a teacher or had low grades in other classes, he would go to those teachers and ask them what I could do to pick up those grades or resolve the conflict. Also if we were having trouble with his class or any other class, he would take time away from his lunch and even after school to help us. Unfortunately, I left the school, however Mr. Mendoza still continues to help me. He often emails me asking how I am doing, he gives me advice anywhere from school to family issues and even writes letters of recommendation for me. Occasionally he calls my mom and aunt and asks us how we are doing and that if we ever need help on anything to not hesitate and ask him for anything. Lastly, Mr. Mendoza always told me that if he could achieve his goals, why couldn't I? He immigrated from Mexico and struggled with his classes because he did not know English very well. So, therefore, he had to learn another language and still went to college. He says, "Look at me now. A kid that didn't know English is now a teacher teaching students that struggle to know Spanish or just want to learn a bit more. You have extra help Gabriel, and I will make sure you achieve your goals." Mr. Mendoza was surely like the dad I never had and I thank him gratefully.

Gabriel Holguin