señora and the bunny

There were two who profoundly impacted me.

Señora Swanson was not the typical language teacher. She was a former FBI agent.   My previous educators were from Spain, but she was from Mexico.  Even though both countries speak Spanish, it’s different.  With her bleached blonde hair and fierce demeanor, she commanded respect from the moment she entered the classroom. It was clear that this was not going to be an ordinary Spanish class.  I discovered a whole new world of language learning. Instead of following a traditional textbook approach, we delved into the rich culture and literature of the Spanish-speaking world. We watched telenovelas, read books like Don Quixote, and immersed ourselves in the language through role-play.

Thanks to Señora Swanson’s unconventional approach, my progress in Spanish was nothing short of remarkable. I quickly absorbed the language and became fluent in a relatively short period of time. In fact, I excelled so rapidly that I eventually became her teacher’s assistant.  Soon after, I had a brief stint as a translator in Saltillo, Mexico.

Miss Fox, taught Early American Literature and British Literature.  It was rumored that she was a former Playboy model and dressed like a rocker’s girlfriend.  Whenever I was in her class, it was like stepping into a time machine, traveling back to a bygone era where words held immense power. We explored various genres, from poetry to prose, and unraveled the hidden meanings within the texts.  We read the works from Emily Dickinson, Ann Bradstreet, William Byrd, William Cullen Bryant, Mark Twain to Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and William Shakespeare.  I was transported into another time…another world. 

If it hadn’t been for Miss Fox and her passion for literature, I may never have discovered my own love for writing. Her enthusiasm ignited a spark within me, a burning desire to express myself through words, and a penchant for reading.