In a moment of melancholy, Carlos Tapia looked back over the years to when he was a fourth-grade student at Mission View Elementary School in South Tucson. It was 1973, his first year at school and in Tucson, when his family moved from Nogales, Sonora. He spoke no English.
But with the help of his teacher, who took interest in him and encouraged him, Tapia learned his lessons and English, continued with school and graduated from high school. Soon after, he joined the U.S. Air Force, and served his country in deployments around the world. After 30 strong years, Chief Master Sergeant Tapia retired in 2010. Four years later he returned to Tucson to care of his father.
One day recently, in that moment of reflection, Tapia turned to Facebook to look for his teacher from 45 years ago. Of all the teachers he had in school, she had remained special to him. “She was my beginning,” Tapia said.
Unsure he had the right person, he sent his teacher a message.
Esperanza Bejarano was looking through her Facebook page when she spied an unusual but sentimental message. Could it be him? she thought. That little boy who spoke no English, but clearly was smart and eager to learn.
She went into her collection of memorabilia and pulled out a photograph from the fourth-grade class she taught. There he was: Carlitos Tapia.
“It gave me such pleasure,” she said about Tapia’s initial message. While she has run into former students out in public, Bejarano, who retired after 32 years in public education, had never had a student reach out to her like Tapia had.
What made it more special was that Tapia was a student in her first year as a public school teacher. His reaching out rekindled her pride of the vital role she played as an educator. She saw in her former student a bit of herself when she came to Tucson without knowing English.
Tapia turned to Facebook to track down and thank Bejarano. He was her student during her first year as a public school teacher in Arizona.
Thursday, I met with Tapia and Bejarano at her west-side home near Pima Community College. We met the same day that tens of thousands of public school teachers and employees commenced their historic walkout to call for better wages and working conditions.
Their re-connection is priceless. You can’t put a price on Tapia’s respect and appreciation for Bejarano and there is no dollar figure for the dedication and passion that Bejarano demonstrated to Tapia.
But as a state, we certainly can show our respect for public school teachers and employees — and public education in general — by paying better salaries and reinvesting public dollars after years of stripping money out of public schools.
Bejarano, who was born in Sonoyta, Sonora, on the border with Lukeville, and who graduated from Pueblo High School and the University of Arizona, became a bilingual education teacher because she wanted to change people’s lives and give them the tools to succeed. She certainly didn’t do it for the money, said Bejarano, who recalled her first-year salary was $10,000.
And Tapia, who graduated from Sunnyside High School in 1980, credits his teachers who helped shape him, who gave him the tools to succeed in the military. “Thanks to every one of them, I was prepared,” he said.
I understand why Tapia contacted his teacher to express his thanks. Like Tapia, I have reached out to teachers in my past whom I know played critical roles in my education and growth. I’ve written about them, too, praising them, thanking them. It’s the very least we can do.
But we can and should do more. Support them and public education during this walkout. Write or call state legislators and Gov. Doug Ducey.
Bejarano supports public education. She demonstrated on Friday in the #RedForEd downtown protest. She shares the frustration of teachers and staff. One of her daughters left public education because of the abysmal conditions. Another daughter, who is a public school administrator in California, is thinking of leaving, too, Bejarano said.
Tapia too, believes that educators make a difference. He’s testament to the life-changing experience. “The youth are our future,” he said. “Why not invest in them?”
Exactly.
