Seven hours a day, five days a week. That’s the minimum amount of time most students at Selma High spend not only with their friends and classmates, but also with teachers. In those hours, teachers socialize and have an effect on hundreds of students. Selma High’s new Spanish and Native Spanish 1 teacher, Miguel Carrillo, wants to make sure the time he spends with students is as meaningful as possible.
Prior to attending Reedley College and Fresno State, Mr. Carrillo attended Dinuba High School, where he learned just how much of an impact a teacher can have on a student. Having just arrived in the US from Las Cruces Abasolo in Guanajuato, Mexico, at 16, he had a difficult time adjusting due to the language barrier. His high school Spanish teacher, Nolberto Sandoval, and US History teacher, Raquel Lara, were essential to his success in learning English. It was teachers like these who were there for him and inspired him to become an educator.
“I always knew that I wanted to become someone that would be able to change a student’s way of thinking,” says Mr. Carrillo, “and I wanted to do that through education.”
Mr. Carrillo wishes to motivate and help students who have a background similar to his to achieve their dreams. He knows the effect of not having anyone to look up to firsthand.
“When I came from Mexico I never would have thought I would be a teacher. I didn’t even know if I was going to graduate high school.”
He is appreciative of his older sister who helped him dream of college. She attended college which made him believe he could get into college as well. Role models like Mr. Sandoval, Mrs. Lara, and his family made it possible for him to achieve his goals.
“[I hope] to help students who can probably relate to myself, who have probably come from Mexico, [who] have worked in the fields,” mentioned Mr. Carrillo, “I worked in the fields every summer.”
That’s one of the reasons he chose to teach at Selma High School. He knows how to help students due to the similarities between his youth and many others in Selma’s community.
Mr. Carrillo is also grateful for the support he has received from other staff at Selma High.
“When you start teaching, you usually don’t have anything. There are teachers who came to my room and gifted me a lot of decorations, supplies, chairs, and materials for the kids.”
He’s enthusiastic to further support the community and students by attending sports games. In particular, Mr. Carrillo enjoys playing soccer just like he did at Dinuba High. One day, he hopes to coach Selma High’s soccer team. Besides enjoying soccer, Mr. Carrillo enjoys working on his cars and going to barbecues to spend time with his family in Dinuba.
