Who are my heroes?

I have been very fortunate to encounter such loving, compassionate, and nurturing people in my life.  There are two in particular who have molded me into who I am today – one as a person in general, and one as an educator.

My first hero is my grandmother, who not only made me develop a strong love for the Italian language and culture, but for life in general.  She shaped me as a person – to carry a light and warm heart, to have family at the center of it all, and to give and love tirelessly to those that we care about.  She stressed the importance of education, something she never had the honor of possessing. She gave my life direction – her influence has led me to where I am today, getting one of my Masters degrees in the Teaching of Italian.  I live my life through her and strive to be like her. The most important thing she has taught me is to follow my heart, do what I love, and just trust that everything will fall into place. Because of her, I always see the glass half full, never the glass half empty.

Big Antoinetta and little Antonette. I owe so much to her. Attached at the hip since I was piccolina.

My other hero is my first cooperating teacher.  Not only has she become my best friend, but she has molded me into a dynamic educator.  She is very accomplished in her own right, but always had the time to help me better myself.  She built my confidence and made me realize all that I am capable of in the classroom.  Her attitude is something that I look up to and that I have adapted for myself. She always set me to the highest expectations when it came to teaching, and now those are the only ones that I have for myself in the classroom.  She let me be more than just a “student teacher.”  She gave me a real sense of responsibility and a place in her department.  I love and look up to her, and appreciate all the time that she has invested in me (and all the time she is STILL investing two semesters later!).  She has made me realize that my limits are endless.