This blog post is part of our celebration of charter school graduates across the country and their achievements. Join us in celebrating our #CharterGrads!
One of the things I am most grateful for in my life is having a great education. People often think that we only receive our education from our teachers within the walls of a classroom,. However, a student receives the best education when they realize that everyone in life is a teacher who can offer you lessons that last a lifetime.
I grew up in Mexico City and moved to the Rio Grande Valley when I was 4-years-old. My father worked in engineering logistics. Like most parents, my mother and father wanted me to have the best education possible so that I would have a successful life.
They had heard about the IDEA Public Schools and its challenging curriculum thus they decided that that was the place for me. In a way, my parents were my first teachers. Their early choices impacted my life in a big way and taught me one of my first lessons in life—you should always strive for the best.
As a first-grade student at IDEA, I can remember feeling nervous because I did not speak English. Luckily, my teacher did everything she could to include me. She would alternate speaking in English and Spanish so that the ESL students in her class had every chance to learn, grow, and participate. I never forgot how that felt and it was yet another important life lesson—everyone deserves a chance at success.
Throughout school, teachers always left a big impression on me. They helped me learn English, challenged me to look closer and think harder, and they encouraged me when I was tired and celebrated me when I succeeded. Teachers at IDEA do more than just plan lessons and give homework. They’re invested in every one of us, showing us how to strive to be the best we can be. There is a reason why IDEA counts everyone as part of a collective “Team & Family.” It’s because our teachers, our principals, the staff, our families—they are all invested in preparing us for life and giving us the best chance at success.
Each time I would think about how much work my teachers put in, it made me want to do my part too. They have so much to teach and so many lessons to plan so that as AP students and IB scholars, my classmates and I were prepared. From my first teacher helping me with my English to the teachers my senior year helping me transition to college, I have learned yet another invaluable lesson—you can find comfort outside of your comfort zone as you learn to adapt to new environments.
I am grateful for this education and excited to continue learning and growing at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, next year where I intend to study public health. I want to become a physical therapist someday and help athletes overcome injuries.
The most successful people are those who work hard, challenge themselves and adapt to any situation. When I go to college, I know I can handle any situation because of the many teachers I’ve had throughout the years and from the lessons I’ve learned along the way because of my parents and my teachers at IDEA.
Irving Chavira-Torres is a 2019 graduate of IDEA Frontier in Brownsville, Texas. In the fall he will begin classes at Texas A&M University.
[Click to Tweet] After immigrating with his family at four-years-old, today @IDEASchools Frontier graduate Irving Chavira-Torres will be heading to @TAMU in the fall to study public health #CharterGrads
