Sometimes in life, you get lucky enough to have a teacher who makes a difference.

For the students at Chapman, Spanish teacher Adela Trejo does just that.

Trejo moved to the United States in 2000 at the age of 15. When she moved here, she didn’t know any English.

“The hardest part was to learn the language to do well in school and to communicate with everyone around me,” Trejo said.

Trejo, who attended Chapman, had a teacher who made a difference and helped her decide to teach .

“To be honest, I never thought I was going to continue my education,” Trejo said. “I thought it was going to be impossible because college is expensive. I had the blessing to meet a teacher that really cared about the girl that couldn’t speak English and believed that she could learn the language and do something with her life: Mrs. McClure.”

(Spanish teacher Sandra) McClure asked Trejo if she wanted to go to college, and with excitement, Trejo said yes. That was the beginning of the process of filling out a Spartanburg Methodist College application and an application for financial aid.
“I didn’t know anything about scholarships, so if it wasn’t for Mrs. McClure I would not be here,” Trejo said.

McClure saw many things in Trejo as a student that she knew couldn’t go unnoticed.

“She was a very bright young girl who was scared because she was in a new environment,”  McClure said. “She wasn’t confident, but I saw potential and wanted her to know she could do anything she wanted to.”

McClure’s faith in Trejo is what brought her to teaching. According to her students, it was the right career path.

“Her teaching style is for sure different from any other teacher I have ever learned from,” junior Natalie Ritz said. “She uses fun activities, like games against our classmates, that get us excited about knowing and learning our vocabulary.”

Junior Makenzie Duncan thinks what helps her most about Trejo’s style is her ability to connect concepts.

“She does a really good job of connecting things that we have learned previously with what we are learning currently,” Duncan said. “I don’t ever really forget a lot of things because I am constantly seeing it when we review.”

Duncan said that she appreciates Trejo’s ability to engage students during lessons.

“She engages us in conversation while she is teaching,” Duncan said. “She asks us questions about what we’re learning a lot and it helps me understand what she is talking about more.”

Ritz said that she enjoys Trejo’s Spanish class so much that to figure out her favorite aspect would be impossible.

“I think it is everything combined, honestly,” she said. “It’s the knowing of when you walk through the classroom door, you are going to see your friends and you know your teacher is going to be happy to see you. You never have the uncertainty of not knowing what mood to expect your teacher to be in because Mrs. Trejo is always smiling and teaching us that learning about a different language and culture can be the best part of our day, and for me it is.”

Ritz stressed that it’s not merely Trejo’s pedagogical prowess that makes her special but also her personality.

“Mrs. Trejo is personally my favorite teacher that I have ever had,” Ritza said. “I think what makes her so special is her ability to laugh along with her students and the fact that you can tell she genuinely means it when she does. She makes learning everyday so much fun by always smiling. I have yet to see her in a bad mood. She is also so interesting because, unlike many of her students and other teachers, she has such a unique background that is different from most.”

Duncan said that Trejo’s story impresses her because it shows strength..

“I think that it shows enormous strength,” Duncan said. “I really respect her for that. It has to be really hard to leave everything that you have ever known, especially at that age. Going somewhere new and foreign to you is scary enough as it is, so I can’t imagine how it must of felt to move to a new country where you didn’t even know the language. It’s amazing the courage she and her family had to do that.”

Ritz agrees that Trejo’s strength is inspiring.

“Mrs. Trejo is the definition of courageous,” Ritz said. “I had the opportunity to speak with her about her history for a theatre project earlier in the year and I was simply blown away. She came to this country not knowing anyone, the language or the culture and she thrived. She didn’t allow the language barrier to be an excuse and persevered through. She had to have so much courage and strength to be able to do what she has, and I admire her for that.”

Duncan said that Trejo’s determination translates to her work in the classroom.
“I think that she is very determined in her teaching,” Duncan said. “She always makes sure that we fully understand the content and always gives 110 percent in her teaching. That takes a lot of dedication to her job.”

Ritz believes that Trejo’s dedication to changing lives through teaching makes her the teacher that she’s incredibly thankful for.

“Mrs. Trejo absolutely uses dedication and determination each and every single day while teaching,” Ritz said.  “She never allows a student to feel as though they aren’t good enough or as if they can’t learn and speak Spanish. She takes the time to help any student who needs it whether it be during class, early in the morning, lunch, or after school. Her dedication to educating students is so amazing and inspiring, and I applaud Mrs. Trejo on being that teacher that every student needs in their life.”

Students know coming into high school that taking a foreign language is a common requirement for a four-year university.

It can be scary and overwhelming, but Trejo has changed student’s opinions and experiences of taking Spanish.

“She definitely has changed my opinion on learning Spanish, Duncan said. “She has brought me a new respect for the language as well as the culture. I actually really enjoy learning it. I think it’s the way she goes about teaching it.”

“Mrs. Trejo has 100 percent changed my views on learning the language,” Ritz said. “When I began the semester I honestly expected to struggle my way through the class, and now, it has become my favorite class of the day and of my high school career. I even plan on minoring in Spanish in college because of Mrs. Trejo.”

Trejo thinks it is hard to hear people’s negative comments about the Spanish language and culture but says that it’s rewarding for students to come back and say they are excelling in Spanish or even studying it in college

She believes foreign language creates opportunities for students.

“It is important for students to take a foreign language to help them understand and appreciate cultural diversity,” Trejo said. “For the ones that major or minor in it, a lot of doors will open for them in the work force.”

Trejo comes to school and the impact she leaves doesn’t go unnoticed.

“She doesn’t know the impact she makes on so many students life everyday that change them for the better, Ritz said.

Today, Trejo and McClure  teach two doors down from each other, and what was once a student/teacher friendship has evolved into a collaborative, professional one.

“Mrs. McClure has worked really hard over the years to create a curriculum to help students excel in Spanish and be ready for college,” Trejo said. “I just help her and we work together to get students where they need to be to get them ready to take Spanish at a college level.”

McClure said that she is proud of all Trejo has accomplished:

“(I feel) like a proud mother.”