Educational Leadership Graduate Maria I. Galindo
Assistant Principal - Keeble EC/PK Center
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I came to the United States ten years ago. It was difficult to leave my family, friends, and a professional career to start a new life in a country where I did not know the language. I came with a lot of dreams and hope. I am happy because a lot of my dreams have come true. The journey sometimes was full of barriers but I am a fighter and I conquered them. The hardest part for me was not being able to speak English. My daughters' school was providing English and computer classes for parents every Saturday. These classes were possible thanks to a grant earned by an Aldine school through Sam Houston State and Texas A&M University . I was volunteering during weekdays and taking the English classes on Saturday at my daughters' school for a year and a half. After that, I worked as a substitute teacher at another Aldine school for six months. Two years later, I earned my Teacher Texas Certification through Region IV. The same grant that gave me my first opportunity to learn English in the United States , gave me the honor to teach GED classes to the deserving parents at Carroll Academy where I taught first grade during the day. I had the privilege of ten of my students getting their GED diploma. In 1998, I was awarded Building Teacher of the Year. I went on to get my Montessori Certification, where once again a grant from Sam Houston State and Texas A&M Universities provided the financial backing. Not only did I take advantage of this opportunity, but all the teachers working at Keeble EC/PK center. In 2000, I was awarded Building Bilingual Teacher of the Year and District Bilingual Teacher of the Year. I was very grateful because I knew that I had broken many barriers. In 2002, SHSU and Aldine gave me the opportunity to complete my Master in Educational Administration through another grant called FAME. This master degree has allowed me to become one of the Assistant Principals at Keeble EC/PK Center and where I currently continue to work. To top it all off, in 2004 I was awarded as "Outstanding Student in Educational Administration Master/Certification Program" at SHSU. This is the highest honor that I have ever received in my life. Also, I participated as a co-author of a PK program for a highly recognized editorial company. The program was chosen by many districts across the country. I am very happy I moved to the right city, best district, and for attending the most excellent university, SHSU. |
