Testimonials

Dr. Z Changed My Life

Kemberly

I moved to Mexico when I was 2 years old and went to school there. After almost 11 years, I came back to the U.S. without knowing any English not even the basic like “hello” or “can I go to the bathroom?” It was really hard for me to communicate with my new teachers and classmates. Starting over at a new school where I couldn’t talk to anyone or be myself was a huge challenge for me. I went from having friends to feeling completely alone.

Before I met Dr. Z, my teachers didn’t really help me improve my English. I spent three years knowing only the basics and struggling to communicate with people who didn’t speak Spanish. But when Dr. Z became my teacher everything started to change. I could tell my English was improving because of him. Dr. Z pushed all the ELD students to do better and even though I didn’t enjoy it at first because I was shy and was embarrassed of my accent, he made sure we all gained confidence. He planned field trips and that’s when I started making more friends and practicing my English more.

One of the biggest things Dr. Z did for us was putting the ELD students in regular classes. I wasn’t just in ELD classes anymore. He believed we needed to be around people who spoke more English than we did. At first it was scary, but it really helped. I made new friends and got better at speaking English with them. Now that I look back I’m so thankful to Dr. Z for pushing me and my classmates to improve. Without him, I wouldn’t know as much English as I do today.

Junior year was one of the hardest school years for me because of all the SOLs I had to take. Everyone was stressed, but Dr. Z always found ways to encourage us. He supported us and taught us not just English, but also biology and history. When I didn’t pass my English SOL on the first try because I was too nervous, Dr. Z didn’t give up on me. He sat with me and taught me how to write an essay all over again. Even though we both knew I already knew how to write his support gave me the confidence I needed. My test score went from a 392 to a 460 and passed on my second try.

Now that I’m about to graduate I don’t have a clear plan for what’s next. But whatever I decide to do I’ll always be grateful for Dr. Z. He didn’t just teach us English, he taught us confidence, perseverance, and how to believe in ourselves. He truly made a difference in my life and I’ll never forget about it.