2I was born in New York City and lived there until I was eight years old. I went to P.S. 47 in Bronx for kindergarten through the third grade. Then we moved to Puerto Rico where Papi had hoped to open an orphanage, at least that's what I remember. We lived in Puerto Rico for three years. The first year, 1963, we lived in Bo. Guardarraya, a little town by the beach. It was such a big change from the Bronx. I loved it. Friends and family from New York visited us there. I went to fourth grade at the elementary school across the street. Meanwhile, Papi was building us a house in Quebrada Arriba. He had bought 40 acres up in the hills in the southern part of the island not too far from Guardarraya. We moved to "la finca" and lived there for two years. We had cattle, pigs, and, if I'm not mistaken, on occassion we had ducks and even a rabbit. For two years we reached out to the community by sharing food and clothing, preaching the Gospel and taking children to Sunday School. When I was 11, I was involved in a car accident and my nose was broken.
We left Puerto Rico in 1967. Papi sold the farm. Mami went to Boston to take care of my brother Johnny who was suffering with liver cancer. Miriam and I went to Lima, NY, to live with Gloria and Willie and to start a new school year there. I spent some time with Lucy and Issy in Rochester, NY, also. Seventh grade in Lima, away from Mami, Papi, Sammy and Gigi, was probably the most difficult year I can remember. Being a limited English proficient student in an English-only school was very tough, especially after being, as I remember, a good student in Puerto Rico with good academic standing. Miriam and I moved back to the Bronx either during the school year or after we completed one school year in Lima, I'm not sure. I went to JHS123 in the Bronx for eighth grade, ninth at Olinville Jr. HS and 10th - 12th in Evander Childs High School on Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. I graduated from high school early, January 1973. Gloria very generously invited me to come to California and live with her and her family. I went to Merced College for two years or so and worked several jobs, sometimes concurrently, to help pay my way through school. Working those jobs was a real impetus to keep studying! In 1976, I married Gary, and that fall I enrolled at Stanislaus University in Turlock, CA. 1979 was a very big year for me because in April I had my first baby, Marcus, and in May I graduated with a B.A. and a Preliminary Teaching Credential. Mami stayed with me in Turlock many days during that time and was a tremendous help while I finished up my term papers and did my final exams. My last report card was straight A's and I made the Dean's List. I know Mami's prayers had a lot to do with it.
I taught in Delhi, California, one year. I was pregnant with Melissa by the end of the school year and decided to take the next year off to be with my babies! We moved to Merced so that the family could help me with the children. I've taught in five other schools since then in Turlock, Manteca and Bakersfield. I've never regretted going into this field. |