Page 62 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2025 - Online Magazine

2
Senior
Senior

Laura Garcia

Profesora

de Español

Destacada

by Ashlynn Bunnell

rs. Garcia, or ¨Señora¨ as I or larger materials to present to the international trips to Europe and Costa
call her, has been teaching class because she believed in my Rica in the summer, giving students
Mfor 30 years and started at ability and knew it would strengthen the chance to practice Spanish while
my school 11 years ago. I joined her my knowledge. I remember her also getting to experience new
Spanish class, and that experience assigning me the story of La Casa de cultures. Now, many Spanish students
has shaped my life in ways I never Bernarda Alba to present to the class, have an amazing chance to travel to
expected. When I entered her Spanish a play which was longer than most these places and experience things
2 class as an eighth grader, I was of the other literature pieces we many of us have never been able to do
unsure what to expect, but I soon analyzed. Upon receiving this task, before. Another instance is when she
began experiencing her kindness I was worried, but she reassured entered her advanced Spanish classes
and support, especially when I came me. In the end it provided me with into a competition at Wayland Baptist
to her about my concerns regarding a deeper understanding of the University, something none of us had
my performance in the class. She unit and of the nuances of Spanish the chance of doing because COVID-19
responded with encouragement and literature and culture, which she later prevented many of those competitions
recommendations, such as tutoring told me she knew would happen. for years. We practiced for months,
before or after school. That was the She also expanded my learning including weekends, and although
beginning of our relationship and beyond the textbook, incorporating we did not perform exceptionally at
my journey to loving Spanish, which and encouraging Spanish movies, competitions, she continued to treat
I then knew included a support podcasts, and books to enhance our us with the same respect and love as
system. Señora has impacted my life fluency. always. These experiences allowed
by helping me realize the value of not only me, but other students as
perseverance, hard work, and the While the tasks were tough, she well to branch out and experience
power of encouragement through her always had confidence in me and Spanish in unique ways outside of the
consistent support inside and outside built me up to be not only a strong classroom. These opportunities have
of the classroom. student, but a person as well. These not only expanded my knowledge of
activities for the language and course the language but also enriched my
Señora’s influence kept me in her have allowed me to develop not only perspective and made me a more
classes throughout the years, even confidence as a student, but ultimately, confident person in Spanish.
as I moved into more challenging a love for the language.
AP Spanish courses. She recognized I am unfortunately no longer in her
the difficulty of the material and Beyond the classroom, Señora offered class as there are no more advanced
pushed me to succeed. Specifically, incredible opportunities that furthered Spanish courses for me to take, but I still
she would give me some of the harder my growth. She brought attention to visit regularly because she continues

62 Lubbock Senior Link