Superintendent Dr. Maria F Vazquez:
ON FAMILY: We were a typical Cuban family. My parents settled in Tampa where we had extended family. Originally they came to Miami [because of the Cuban Revolution]. They had to start over. They sacrificed, they endured, they believed in the American Dream.
ON EDUCATION: The sacrifice my parents made coming to the US to build a better life for their children was not in vain. They told us that education was the most valuable currency we had and not to squander it.They trusted the schools to do right by us, and they did. Our families are better for it.
ON CULTURE: Family always comes first! We had Saturday dinner at my grandparents’ house. We shared the food, the culture, the music, the celebrations, the tears and the laughter.
WHAT SHE HAS LEARNED: For children who are struggling, whether they have left their countries or are from a struggling family, they can overcome.
District 2 School Board Member Johanna López:
ON FAMILY: I was born in the Ducos Projects of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, of which I feel very
proud, because that has been the grounds and foundation of my strength, perseverance and determination. My dad was an Army veteran. I have a brother and sister that inspired me to continue forward and so did my mom.
ON EDUCATION: My family always emphasized the importance of education. I had a lot of good teachers. My mom, despite having only studied up to 6th grade, and worked cleaning jobs in order to support us, always emphasized the importance of education to graduate and persevere despite life’s challenges. I had a lot of good teachers. A good teacher I had, Lilian Gonzalez, would harness her history lessons to teach what it is to respect Puerto Rican culture.
ON REPRESENTATION: We have 43% Hispanics in this district. Representation is important. I’m Hispanic but I’m also Afro-Caribbean. I have all these different roots and ethnicities inside me - the same way as the community. They know they are a part of a community that’s diverse and they know it’s important for our students to have a school that represents that diversity.
ON HAVING AN ACCENT: The accent is an asset. It is nothing to be ashamed of. I had a student who repeated my advice back to me – that he could be valedictorian with an accent. He said I could be a school board member with an accent.
ON CELEBRATING OUR DIFFERENCES: Growing up as an Afro-Latina, I learned to appreciate and celebrate diversity in our community, as well as understand the challenges that both groups face while moving from one culture to the next with ease and pride. I am convinced that our next generation will push us closer to a world where cultural and demographic diversity serves as a pillar to our society, not a source of discrimination. I’ve learned this because my background has helped me connect deeply with our students, parents, and staff.