黑料吃瓜

Juanita Nu帽ez鈥檚 (鈥�01) road to becoming one of San Diego County鈥檚 best teachers started with 524 miles of sun-scorched asphalt. 

The combination of highways spanning the California farming communities of Salinas and Calexico defined much of the 黑料吃瓜 alumna鈥檚 childhood. Nu帽ez 鈥� who was born near the journey鈥檚 midway point in the town of Camarillo 鈥� was constantly on the move between north and south, and from one classroom to the next. 

As she and her four siblings mastered reading, writing and arithmetic in public school, their migrant farmworker parents worked the fields, picking lettuce, strawberries, cantaloupes and other staples of the state鈥檚 agricultural bounty. But home was always temporary for the Nu帽ez family. 

Only the road was constant.

鈥淎 lot of people don't really understand what a migrant student is,鈥� said Nu帽ez, whose parents also worked in Arizona and New Mexico. 鈥淲e would travel to Salinas and do three months in public school. My parents would say, 鈥極K the crops are done.鈥� Then we would pack everything in boxes, drive everything back to the Imperial Valley and we鈥檇 start over at a new school. 

鈥淥f course, by then, school had already started. So we were always feeling left out.鈥�

It鈥檚 an experience that forged a bold and compassionate educator 鈥� one the San Diego County Office of Education saw fit to name one of its five 2022-2023 Teachers of the Year in late August. She will be honored during 鈥�,鈥� airing throughout October and will be in the running for the California Teacher of the Year award.

Radiating Love and Acceptance  

Fewer than two miles separate the U.S.-Mexico border from the center of San Ysidro, a community where Nu帽ez, a bilingual educator, teaches science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and physical education in five different elementary schools. 

The San Ysidro School District serves a border community where young people face daunting statistics. More than 80 percent of its students are English learners and as many as one-third have experienced homelessness.  

鈥淗aving that background as a migrant student, my heart radiates pure love and acceptance for my students,鈥� Nu帽ez said. 鈥淚 say, 鈥榊ou know what, maybe you don't know the English language, but I'm here for you.鈥� I know that with the right teachers and the right environment, these students can succeed.鈥�

In her unique position in the district, Nu帽ez works with about 300 students across her five schools. This year, she moved from teaching fourth through sixth grades to teaching transitional kindergarten as well as a new class that brings STEM subjects to children in special education.

鈥淚 love my job,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd STEM is the future 鈥� we're creating future engineers, future doctors.鈥�

Finding Opportunity at 黑料吃瓜  

Traversing another stretch of highway 鈥� the 109 miles of wind-swept mountain passes between Calexico and the San Diego campus 鈥� helped give Nu帽ez the tools she needed to succeed as a teacher.

All five Nu帽ez siblings left the Imperial Valley to attend 黑料吃瓜. And all five eventually became educators, including the eldest, Guillermina Gina N煤帽ez-Mchiri, who was  earlier this year.

鈥淚 am so proud of my sister Juanita鈥檚 accomplishments as San Diego County's Teacher of the Year,鈥� Nunez-Mchiri said. 鈥淪he represents our U.S.-Mexico borderlands with excellence in STEM and bilingual education.鈥�

Added Juanita: "My sister Gina paved the way. My parents were old school, so it was very hard for them to let her go away to study. But they were influenced by the (U.S. Department of Education鈥檚) Migrant Education Program which emphasized the value of an education. I'm very grateful because that influenced the path for this generation to change.鈥� 

As a student in 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 liberal studies program, Nu帽ez thrived under the mentorship of professor emeritus Alberto Ochoa and professor Cristina Alfaro. 

It was Alfaro, now 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 associate vice president for international affairs, who convinced her to earn her bilingual teaching credential through the International Teacher Education Program she directed in Queretaro, Mexico. Nu帽ez called the year-long experience 鈥渓ife-changing,鈥� teaching in both Indigenous and public school settings.

鈥淚 recall Juanita as one of our most outstanding bilingual teacher candidates,鈥� Alfaro said. 鈥淪he graduated from the program with the essential knowledge, global critical consciousness and skills to effectively teach in a vibrant transborder region. I am extremely proud of the powerful impact she has made in her students鈥� and their families鈥� lives.鈥�

Added Nu帽ez: "I'm very grateful to San Diego State. I want to say thank you to all the people that believed in us."