As a child, I had a tough time with English—both the language and subject. I was a child of first generation immigrants from Puerto Rico and for the first few years of my life, I spoke only Spanish. By the time I starting attending school, the only real exposure I had to English was through television shows like “Magic Garden”, “Sesame Street” and “Electric Company” (yeah, I’m taking it way back). Because of this, I always got mediocre grades in English that shadowed the excellent grades I received in my other subjects. I couldn’t figure out why I was doing so poorly in a subject that covered matter that was everyday knowledge— spoken language. After a few years, I became discouraged and my teachers did nothing to motivate me to try harder.
In 6th grade, this new teacher, Mrs. G, started teaching at my school. She was a hippyish, crunchy white lady and spoke in a funny manner. This was really the very first white person I ever interacted with. She was so strange that I did everything in my power to stay away from her, but guess what? She was my new English teacher. I thought if I could just get A+ in every class like I always did, the B- or C in English really wouldn’t affect my GPA and I would still be on the Honor’s Roll. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. When I wrote my first essay for her, the grade I got was expected —a C. But, there was a note on my paper. She wanted to see my mom and me after school. I thought, “I’m in trouble and my mom is going to kick my butt.” But, when we met Mrs. G, she spoke to my mom about how much potential she sees in me and how much she wanted to work with me to see if we could do something about improving my grades in English. I thought to myself, Mrs. G is wasting her time because I am just no good at English. My mom being the educational advocate she was quickly agreed. Keep in mind that my mom understands English, but doesn’t speak it very well. When she came to New York, her accent was so strong that she was ashamed to speak the language and always said she didn’t understand. Somehow, Mrs. G was able to communicate with my mom in such a way that they both understood each other. The combination of the expert way she communicated with my mom and the ringing conviction in her voice that echoed her belief in my abilities and aptitude kind of woke me up. I knew I had no other choice but to try my best.
Mrs. G worked with me after school every day and I began to see that the fruits of our labor were not in vain. My grades slowly started improving to a point where I was getting As in her class. She did everything to keep me interested and more important, she inspired the creative spark in me to write. I began to keep journals that I would allow her to read just to see how I was progressing. We started studying Shakespeare and that’s where I had my break. I loved Shakespeare and even had my mom buy me other works by him so that I would keep reading. Then, I started reading everything I could get my hands on. My library grew astronomically. I found that reading transported me to a place where my imagination could run wild. At the end of the year, I received my very first A in English. I was so proud of myself, not because I achieved a 4.0 average but because I was able to conquer English, my strongest opponent. More important, I became more confident in myself and my abilities. I realized that if I focused and applied myself, I could do anything. I was not just a little Puerto Rican girl with an accent anymore; I was an intelligent young lady that could do whatever she put her mind to. Nothing could stop me, not even my own fears. From that day on, I held my head up high and realized my value. I remember my mom crying the day I received my English honors award. This award was more valuable than the sum of all awards I received in my life because this award inspired confidence in me. I stopped being that shy, introverted little girl and blossomed into a powerhouse.
I thank God every day for bringing Mrs. G into my life. I truly believe she was an angel that guided me onto the path that is my life. It is because of her and my mom that I am who I am and I owe them everything. The world is a better place because of Mrs.G – I know that I am not her sole success story, that she helped many more kids just like me. The anniversary of Mrs.G’s death was a few weeks ago—she died in 2007 after a long fight with Ovarian Cancer. Unfortunately, I did not see her again after my grammar school days, but believe me, her memory is just as strong today as it was back then. She will always live on in my heart, mind and imagination. Every time I write, whether it is for business or pleasure, I will always feel Mrs. G looking over my shoulder saying “good stuff, Sonia, keep up the great work”.
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Caridad Pellot is a corporate executive who just looks like she has it all together. In her blog, “Diary Of A Control Freak”, she lets us in on the lessons she’s learning along the way.
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