During an entry-level Spanish Literature course at Pomona, Mireya Jimenez ’94 discovered her true calling to become a teacher. She grew up speaking Spanish at home and was proud of her first language. But when her first Spanish paper was returned covered in red ink, her confidence was shaken.
She realized that the gaps in her Spanish were due in part to her having received all of her institutional education in English, sparking in her a deep desire to teach young students not just the Spanish language, but Latino cultures as well. More than three decades into a rich career as a bilingual educator, she was recently named California Association for Bilingual Education’s (CABE) Teacher of the Year.
Mireya Jimenez ’94 (left) at Pomona with her mother.
A Palm Springs native and first-generation college student, Jimenez was able to attend Pomona thanks to a financial aid package that included grants, scholarships and work-study opportunities. Eager to experience more of the diverse, rich Latino culture, an additional scholarship gave her the chance to study abroad in Chile. She also petitioned for a self-designed Latin American Studies major, spurring the College to launch an official major the following year under the leadership of Emeritus Professor of History and Chicana/o Latina/o Studies Miguel Tinker Salas.
Mireya Jimenez ’94
After graduating Jimenez landed her dream job teaching in Pomona Unified School District’s Dual Language Immersion program, which supports both K-12 native Spanish speakers and elementary students learning Spanish as a second language.
Jimenez says that, for her, the “Teacher of the Year” award pales in comparison to another recent milestone in which one of her sixth-grade students won CABE’s statewide bilingual writing contest. What made it particularly poetic for her was that the winner is the daughter of one of her very first group of students—a testament to her enduring influence across generations.
As part of her award, Jimenez earned a three-week scholarship to travel to Spain this summer, where she continued to immerse herself in the language and culture she has dedicated her life to teaching.
“Little did I know when I came to Pomona [that] I would have created this life that I am so proud of,” she says. “I hope my story serves as a reminder that if you have a dream and the support of those who believe in you, anything is possible.”
Gifts to the Pomona Annual Fund support scholarships, grants and study away programs, making transformative education experiences like Mireya Jimenez’s possible. Visit our website or call 909-607-6096 to make a gift today.