Mr. Garcia, a new math teacher here at Bishop Gorman, was originally born in Cuba, but he moved to Nicaragua when he was 10 years old, and lived there for 30 years. He went to an American school in Nicaragua, so his education was very similar to that of the United States.
In 2001, his dad, a teacher in his high school, asked him if he wanted to start tutoring, which he started to do during college, giving him a taste of teaching. He graduated in 2007 as industrial engineer, and decided that he wanted to be in the education industry. He has been teaching for 14 years now, and has taught everything from Algebra 1 to Calculus AB and BC.
Back when he was a student, he believed that he was “nothing exceptional” and was just a normal kid. He feels that “everything in life is about practice” and this belief is reflected in his teaching.
He states his empathy and understanding for students by saying, ”I know most students are in sports and they practice a lot, but I just ask my students to do a little practice a day, and you will see huge change in your levels of knowledge.”
His favorite parts of Bishop Gorman include the students and the campus itself. He says, “My first weeks at Gorman were amazing, however once the students got here it was a completely different experience, and interacting with them is important to me.”
Growing up in a different country, it was hard for him to be away from family and friends. Especially when where you’re from is so far away from the United States. Mr. Garcia expresses, “I am a person who considers family as priority number one, even though I am here with my wife and kids, I miss the weekly interaction with my sister and her family.”
Even though there are things he misses from home, there are several things he enjoys about the United States. Mr. Garcia shared that he loves getting to try new food from all new cultures. He expressed his enjoyment of Italian foods, such as pasta and even deep dish pizza. But it isn’t just the food that makes him like this country. “My favorite part about the USA is that it is a country full of opportunities. I believe that one can do what they want here as long as they work hard for it.”
After interviewing Mr. Garcia and getting to know his story a little better, it is obvious that it is important to understand a teacher’s background and intentions. Mr. Garcia has goals for all his students to succeed and do good in his class. At Bishop Gorman, the goal is to be a welcoming and inviting community for the teachers and students to feel comfortable.
