Welcome to Cultural Connections Lab. I'm your host Dr. Kelly Forbes. We are here to talk with educational professionals around the world to impact and influence the education system as we focus on cultural connections and the education of multilingual, diverse students.
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Welcome to another podcast episode with myself, your host, Dr. Kelly Forbes, and I am excited to be here today with a new friend of mine, someone who I had the pleasure of meeting not too long ago at the CoCabe, the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education Conference.
And I'd like to introduce to you all to all of our amazing listeners out there. We have Suzy Mosqueda. Suzy is an entrepreneur, business owner, transformational speaker, and a bestseller author.
She is the CEO and founder of the RTE Academy, a coaching program designed to strategically transform the lives of successful women who feel unworthy.
As a survivor, or she likes to call herself, thriver of multiple illnesses, including cancer and over five abdominal surgeries, she found the way out of societal misery.
Suzy's passion and calling is to share her knowledge with women to elevate their identity, elevate their worth.
I know there is more to what the eye and even imagination can perceive, she expresses. This belief has taken her from having no shoes and working in the fields of Mexico to an unstoppable, forward, resilient visionary.
She asked the question, do you want to gain your worth back? And she talks about some techniques that we will discuss further in this episode today.
But she also says, I guide women entrepreneurs, executives, business owners, authors to elevate their identity, elevate their worth by dissolving their inner critic and cultivating a resilient core courage.
Listeners, a big welcome to Suzy Mosqueda. How are you?
Oh my gosh, thank you so much. That's an amazing introduction. I feel so flattered. Thank you.
Well, hey, we are truly the flattered ones to have you here. And I'm really thankful that you, and I just want to share this to anyone else who's out there listening.
If you want to be on this podcast, we know people, we meet people, but also come up and ask us.
And so I had the honor and the privilege truly to get to meet you at the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education Conference.
And it was just such a true honor and pleasure to get to meet you. And then we shared information about the podcast and you came up and asked, would it be possible to participate in this?
And so thank you for being bold. Thank you for coming up and thank you for adding to our conversation with all of our listeners.
I am so genuinely excited to get to learn more about you today. Thank you so much. You know, that day I was so drawn to you and I'm like, we need to connect.
We have a similar mission in mind of impacting people and especially youth being a former teacher of 20 plus years. And I'm like, I'm in. I'm in.
So thank you for accepting me to be here and opening the door.
Now, I think this is really fantastic. And I was drawn to you as well. And you also brought up some amazing students that I got to meet.
And I feel like, you know, I mean, whenever you have the students as your focus and the forefront of your mind and all that you do, you will always therefore make better, more informed decisions.
Because it really is all about our students. And we were talking about the I believe that our session that we were in was called Building Bridges.
And it's trying to cultivate, you know, school culture with cultural proficiency. And so I think that we definitely have a lot in common in that mission and in that vision as well.
Absolutely. Yeah. And going back to mention and how I bring students to some of these either district related or education related or business conferences, it's it's it's been a passion of mine.
And I think it's part of my life calling to suppose or have them have the exposure to a variety of opportunities and scenarios so they can see themselves at a higher level.
And I just limited to the nine to five or whatever. But they can be doing way bigger things.
I think that's so important. And I really appreciate the fact that you brought the students. I've never seen anyone do that. I have done that one time before.
Whenever I had students of my own. And it was a really it was a great experience and allowed for just a lot of reflection on my part as being the educator.
And how do I allow exposure and opportunities to students like you just see themselves at a higher level doing something that we know that we need our students to come back and to continue this mission and vision whenever you and I win the lottery and, you know, retire.
I love the idea of winning the lottery.
I don't think I'll ever stop in this in this work, though. I love it so much. But it really is important for us to be able to have our students that are connected also.
Yeah, absolutely. So ever since I started my journey of personal development at one and really reconnecting with myself.
Obviously, I was still being a teacher because it's it's been years since I started this this path. And I totally saw how I could incorporate all of these knowledge into my classroom with the students K through fifth grade.
And it was not only you know only fifth grade, but it was all the way across. I was able to modify all the techniques and whatnot and knowledge that I have acquired throughout the years. And then through my journey, I learned that even myself being a Latina who comes from a little tiny town.
I had not been having exposure to the wide and broad opportunities and possibilities out there in the world.
When I started to get involved morning morning to these conferences and getting connected and developing wealthy relationships with people who have done amazing things. I was like, Oh my gosh, yes, I can do that. Yes, I can. I started seeing myself there and I was like, Hmm, I wonder if I bring my students here.
What would the impact be to their mindset, their whole being to their whole identity to their future self. How is that going to shift for them, you know, to approach to pursue higher things, you know, and one of my students stays in my mind.
And she's like, Miss Susie, I think I want to start a business on cosmetics, like organic ones. And I'm like,
Yes, that's the purpose.
So I told her, Evelyn, yes, you can. I can help you. Let's do this. So we're still working on that, of course, as we go and whatnot. But, you know, up until now, if I call a parent, if I see an opportunity for my instance, and I call a parent and student, Hey, I'm attending this conference like that day.
Technically, it was like, I need volunteers, we're going to be volunteering for this conference who wants to come. Hey, do you want to come? And right away, parents, yes, Miss Susie, let me tell Eli, if he wants to go and Eli is like, Yes, Miss Susie, I'm on it.
I would tell him, are you picking me up?
When did you first start doing that?
I think it's been now close to six years ago. Oh my god. And one of the first conferences was CoCave and Koalas.
Okay. Because I remember Ron Cabrera and Bodhis, I forgot his last name, approaching me and they're like, Oh, this is a great idea. I'm like, yeah, I'm empowering my youth.
Exactly. I love that so much. What is their feedback afterwards? Like whenever you left that, the last CoCave conference?
Oh, from Ron and the board?
From your students, yeah.
Or from my students?
From the students.
So this is part of the process of how I've done it previously when I was in the classroom. I would bring them to the conference and one of the requirements was there after the conference, they were have a written piece as a reflection of what they've learned.
What is it that they want to improve in their life according to what they left or whatever?
It's incredible. There was Sury who was like, Ms. Sury, thank you so much for this opportunity. Now I can see myself as a writer doing all of these impacts on other people's life.
And I think that's having us over at the conference already gave me a lot of self-confidence to not be afraid to talk to people who seem to be way more powerful than me.
Things like that, that really brought tears to my eyes and it was like, yes, thank you God.
Wow. No, I love that. But I think it's interesting that they said who seem more powerful than me.
Yes.
That.
Yes.
That.
Because even some of them were like, I was so afraid to talk to this person because I didn't know if I could. I'm like, talk to them like you talk to me, talk to them like you talk to any other friend.
Just approach them. You're going to see they're going to be accessible to you. Just do it.
We're all doing it.
And they would be like, oh, I'm so nervous. I'm so this, I'm so that. I'm like, it's okay. I'm nervous too. Let's be nervous together, but let's do it.
You're such a good role model. Even for me, you're inspiring me because there are times, you know, being vulnerable as an adult sometimes, you know, you see people and meet people and think, oh my gosh, I can never talk to them.
And if that's difficult for us, imagine what it's like for our students. And we're trying to really uplift the identities, the voices, the traditions, the heritage, the cultures of our students.
And so putting them into the arena where they see themselves as the leaders, I think that is one of the most important things that we can do in education.
I absolutely agree. And another thing that actually has come out out of those experiences is how we mainly see in these other roles, not very many people of color.
No.
And, and they, they would, you know, within the classroom, you know how hard it is sometimes to have Latino students or from other cultures be participating because they feel that they, they're not worth enough.
Right.
To put out their word because they're going to make a mistake because maybe what they're going to say is not as important or whatever it is.
So, one of the conversations that I used to have in the classroom with my students, either age, was, yes, maybe there is no one right there that looks like me and I'm the only Latina in the room.
But I make sure that people notices me because of who I am, and I make sure that I show up being the Mexicana with pride, and with all the talents and with all the power and with all the abilities that I have.
And I make sure that they notice that I don't put myself down or bring myself down just because I am different within that environment.
I make myself feel belong, because I do.
I think that's a really important thing though because you know you're you're you're assuming that, and sometimes it's so difficult to do, but you're being such an amazing example of respecting myself first loving myself first, so therefore I can respect and love others, and I'm going to believe in myself so much that I'm not going to allow my own inner critic like you say my own inner saboteur, you know your ego is not your amigo sometimes right.
Oh, I love that.
Yeah, your ego is not your amigo.
I took that from someone who who does Zumba workouts on YouTube so I can't claim that as my own but nevertheless, ego is not your amigo.
It's interesting though as we're talking about this because so what I was, what, before I said you know like never do I hardly ever see anyone who is in leadership, who is of color.
And so there and now of course I know that geographically within the nation that this can look very different for different reasons for totally the previous really encouraged and supported all demographics represented within their, their local community, but then there were other areas where you see that the
majority of the students are of color, or the majority of the students speak another language and the majority of those students are Spanish speaking students, but then whenever you go to the school sites, your assistant principal head principal are normally monolingual monolithic
in some ways, monocultural, and they don't have those same backgrounds. And so I often pose and ask the question. It's not that we're not producing hundreds and hundreds of high school graduates who go to college.
I mean because we see them we know the numbers we know that they're in our schools, but why are they therefore not ever reflected. Typically, overall, I shouldn't say you know never, but hardly ever represented in those high leadership positions.
That blows my mind. Yes.
You know, Kelly, what I found out if you allow me to share throughout my teaching career and being having the privilege, because I'm privileged I consider myself an honor and blessed to have the opportunity to be in these environments where I can observe a lot of stuff.
I did observe that as such a young age, starting fourth grade and even younger.
Our students especially Latino students are starting to already feel a shame of, of their identity.
And that builds up through the years, especially when it is not interrupted in a way that is like, okay, yes I might not be a monolingual student, or from the mainstream society or whatever necessarily, but I am still very, I am not still, I am very
powerful and I have the capability to do leadership stuff.
And they don't see themselves in those roles as such a young age, they don't.
Even within the classroom I remember, I always love to build a community that is very cohesive, very united, regardless of how many cultures are within my classroom we are all resources of each other right.
But I did notice that a lot of our Latino especially students were like, pull themselves back from those higher responsibility roles.
And I will always be like no you can let's do it.
You can I will always like push them.
Go for it, do it, you got it.
And the conversation was, like I said before, even though I don't see anybody like me in that room. I want you to make sure that you are the first one.
Because a lot of people are going to follow you.
The conversation was always like, you are a leader, each of them. You are a leader with your unique and authentic abilities and talents and whatnot, you are a leader.
If we had more environments like that throughout their schooling, career or life journey, and that would be, from what I saw, what I experienced and what I've seen, that would be a tremendous impact.
You know and everyone has a story whenever they themselves thought that they weren't going to be good enough or thought that I'm not I don't know enough for that role. I'm not good enough for that.
And we always we just sometimes we push we we're our own worst enemies. Sometimes I agree with that. I call it we are our worst bully.
It's so true because there are many times, but then we need the people that are around us though. And I guess that's what kind of makes it just more you know just more transparent and just more human.
It's just to say like hey some of these people that have been in the highest positions that you can ever think of, they were also scared. But the difference is though is that they had someone right there along their side encouraging them, pushing them, helping them, believing in them, and really elevating their voice at the same time.
Totally.
I absolutely agree with that because I wouldn't be here if it wouldn't bore. I call her my little hermanita, mi pequeña hermanita, because she's the biggest cheerleader that I have behind me when I when I feel because I'm where I am and where we are we still like you're saying having some self doubts or like I'm not worth to be listened to or whatever we're pursuing right?
I still love her.
Yes, it's a never ending. There is just, you know, the beauty comes when you become resilient enough to say, okay, I'm feeling this way, but I'm still going to do it because I know I can or you know, self talk, really important.
This person has been a huge fan and supporter all the way since I began to pursuing my business career. And every time I feel a little bit down or whatever I call her and she's like, you got this, you have the talent.
If you could see yourself and all the capacity that you have and all the amazing things that you can do, it would, I mean, you would believe it. Thank you.
You know, it's nice to have those people that come back and remind us because sometimes I, you know, again, you just feel like, you know, we just were our own worst bullies. And so that we just think like, I don't know, like, I'm not even like I don't know enough. Someone else knows more. Why would they listen to me, you know, but then at the same time, the other person comes and they remind you of all the things that you have done and they really ignite that fire.
And so I think it's important for us to just like always be really rooted in the gratitude for the people that are around us. And I have this theory, though, that if we just continue to try to make other people's dreams come true, and if we're all trying to make someone else's dream come true and trying to help them, well, then we're there for really helping ourselves having our dreams come true at the same time, because we're all collectively helping each other in that way, collective impact.
Absolutely. No kidding. And throughout that journey and what I've learned as a teacher and as a coach, it's like you're not only sharing your knowledge and teaching it and encouraging people, but you're also auto reflecting all the time and therefore like you're saying you are also growing.
I love it so much and you keep talking about like this like this journey like we're alluding to a journey. I really want to hear about your journey. I know that just from reading your bio and having met you, you have a whole lot of experiences that have allowed you to be the person who you are today.
Some of those are probably great experiences and other ones, maybe some more difficult experiences, and you are a driver and a visionary. And so I really want to hear about your journey, how you started in not just the profession, but, you know, in life, like your life journey within this profession, though.
And so along with that journey, what was that culturally proficient journey as well as you were learning about the role of culture, and not only you, but what that looked like a society and what those impacts were things that are really good for our other listeners and especially educators to know and to understand
that you're in front of amazing little humans every single day that might have a very similar story. Thank you. Thank you. Absolutely. There are multiple parts to the question you just asked me so I'm going to try to remember all of them.
My journey started over in Guanajuato, Mexico, which is close to Mexico City. I was born and raised there until I was around 15. I was a teenager. And I remember growing up as a little girl there were a lot of amazing stories I had an amazing childhood, you know, jumping in the water
barefooted and, you know, playing with dirt and rocks and whatnot because I didn't have toys. And they're barefooted because sometimes I didn't have shoes. It was really hard in the house as far as having all the basic needs needed.
However, you know my mom, my Tia's and all of them were an amazing role for me. More role models because all of them have such a resilient, strong personality and character that even though they don't have all the resources that I have now in my life.
They came. They became amazing cooks. Amazing, I would call them chefs. Okay. Amazing clothes designers.
Amazing mentors and stuff. I use this analogy with one of my aunts because she actually recreated one of my cousins, Kinsy Añera, dressed for her little two year old granddaughter. Like the exact thing.
And I was like, Oh my gosh, she could be in Paris showing, having her fashion show and whatnot with everything that she does. Yeah, that's so true. You're right.
So, the thing is that she didn't have the resources to pursue that right or maybe she didn't see herself there because she was not exposed to that environment.
But I take that in my heart, because ever since I was a little girl working in the fields, prepping or harvesting cucumber or whatever, and you know having pain on my back and carrying that huge stack of cucumbers and whatnot.
I knew there was something else out there for me something bigger something that I didn't even know what it was, there was.
And one of the things that I've learned throughout these journey of life is that when we are young and little is when we really know who we are because we are still reconnect, we are still connected to our authenticity.
So, I carry it that with me I've carried it throughout my life. However, life happens.
Sometimes it happens a lot.
So, as I migrated to the United States and I was so excited because I was finally coming, or getting into the land of opportunities.
I, my actual path was interrupted with all these experiences of being in a toxic relationship, where I had two beautiful children that I adore dearly.
They're already young adults but they're my little ninos, but I mean, so,
and throughout that experience and my authenticity and my identity fighting to like really be prevail regardless of, I encounter myself to be a cancer survivor, ulcerous colitis and then intestine perforation and that's when I got all my abdominal surgeries and whatnot.
And later on, I also had to have my colon removed.
So all of those things. So what one of the biggest of companies that I had or breaking point in my life was when my interest in was separated.
Because throughout our lives, like I said when we're little, we're always aware of all the signs and we're excited about it and why not. But then we lose ourselves.
So when I when I was in the hospital that year.
I had no choice but not to be.
Not to be a mom, not to be a sister, not to be even a woman, not to be any, any external labels that were defining me.
I had to just be there and really listen to all the to the divine to God whatever you believe in on this is not where you are going to be. You need to move on and move out of these talks or relationship this we're going to show you who you really are and reconnect you back and whatnot.
In our daily busy lives. If that wouldn't happen to me, I was, I would probably be still in the same toxic relationship, even with myself.
Like we were saying before, we are a worse bully, right. And we are not aware of it sometimes, most of the time.
It's so weird because these collective virus of negativity and putting people down. It's so engraved into us that sometimes we don't notice we are doing it even in jokes, or through songs or, you know, anything.
So that really that was my breaking point and that's when I started my journey in personal development and reconnected with my inner self. So I've been throughout that phase in my life, and up until now I'm still growing right, the more you know the less you know.
I often joke that it's like Socrates all I know is I know nothing.
Exactly.
So I, I've been also, since we are not only in a country but in a world where cultures are intertwined with each other, interacting all the time.
I mean, we, how can that.
How could we, how could we avoid all of that we can't social media, we have the airplanes now since a little while ago and whatnot.
So, I've become so multicultural through this journey because I'm fascinated with the stories and the patterns and whatnot, that all of the cultures have in common.
And then ultimately we are just spiritual beings, humans, having an experience in life, but we have so much in common, so much, not only that with my own almost similarly right or cry or whatever the emotions.
You know, the thing that your thoughts and whatever diet you have not only eating diet but also like what you listen to what you say what you think what your actions are why not.
They're very similar and are actually impacted by technically the same factors.
People around you, the environment, your culture, and so on and whatever you're identifying yourself with.
So, up until now I would say I have friends from a lot of places around the world, and I feel so lucky and blessed to get to, you know, interact with them and share our stories, our lives.
I always say stories, connect souls. So, to me, all of us are souls on earth, finding, trying to connect with our happiness which is innate in us.
And we will be right back.
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And now, back to the show.
I love how you make us remember that like, it really is nothing to do with all of the outside labels that we have. It's really about who we are internally.
It's about our soul, about, you know, that diet that you talk about, about not just the food diet, but what do I allow myself to listen to?
Do I find myself, you know, making jokes that are really microaggression and not really understanding what I'm saying?
And how does how does what I say constantly impact my behavior and my acts and who I am?
And once we really do realize how interconnected we are through culture, through society, through just, you know, science, how our bodies work and the function and everything.
Like you were saying, like, you know, we all smile in the same language. We all cry whenever things are sad.
But we are so interconnected, whether whether you believe it or not or like it or not.
I mean, this is like what I do over here impacts the other side of the universe. What I do right now can impact you.
And we have to understand how how united we are and that through that we do get to explore other diversities and see the beauty of that.
And then that's where we get to enrich our lives even further is by listening to really seek to understand learning from others and being true to who we are without any other label that someone else may be capable.
Absolutely. Yes.
And that was that was one of the things I would say the main thing that I devoted myself to inculcate or show my students.
Now, so here in Oklahoma, we have a new leader for our Latino Community Development Agency.
And he's a member of the Latino Community Development Agency.
And he's a leader of the Latino Community Development Agency.
And he's an amazing leader.
He's an amazing leader.
And I think he's a really, really, really good leader.
So I'm sure in an article, yes, he's really, really wonderful.
And I'm very excited for his leadership.
I'm listening. I'm incorrect. Please forgive me.
Anyhow, with that being said, he said in the article, he had mentioned that in our culture, it's hard for us to sometimes brag about ourselves and to say, but so listening to your story and making these connections how your ego isn't always your amigo and we don't always see ourselves in these
experiences and where we don't see ourselves in leadership. And then we physically whenever we're actually looking at the people who are in those roles of leadership, they do not look like the students overall.
They don't speak the same language they don't understand the culture you can't separate culture and think that there's so much, but we need.
Again, and this is coming from someone who the only Spanish speaker in my family and from Tulsa, Oklahoma, I do not have these experiences myself I'm just grateful to be able to participate in a culture and be allowed into that culture.
And so I'm always so thankful and grateful. But that's where I feel like my, my excitement and my passion and kind of my advocacy comes into play is because I want to be able to see the students that I had my newcomer students I want them to be, I want to see them as the
instructional leadership director I want to see them as the superintendents and I want them to be able to speak in two languages to everyone that is in that community, and to understand the role that culture plays of that.
But if we don't find that point where we can really brag about ourselves and elevate ourselves, because there's that difference between, you know, being cocky and kind of full of yourself versus just saying like, I know who I am, and I'm strong and who I am and I'm confident
who I am and I have something to offer. I have, I have something that I can provide, I can give and gift to a community. And so we need, we need our leaders we need our students to brag about themselves to advocate for themselves.
Yes, totally. And believe me Kelly wasn't that easy for me either. I remember at the beginning stages of really seeing myself with, you know, like you're saying brag about myself even with myself.
That was even the hardest part.
I remember feeling so unworthy.
You know, because throughout my life as the Latina as a woman of color and coming from I come from where it's rich in tradition and whatnot.
We like, like, this person from Oklahoma said, you don't do that because if you do it, you are cocky. You're stuck up. You are this you are that and you're like okay I better say the no I'm not good enough or no I'm not that good you're better than me or, you know, things like that.
And one of the things that I came to conclude, after all these many years like I'm so old, you know,
we're both really young. Exactly.
I sounded like the little boy on the talent show who's five throughout my life.
I've been playing the violin.
That's me I'm barely 25.
I'm like, we need to be.
We need to practice.
First of all, because whatever it's making us feel ashamed to show off or show up was not something that happened from one day to another.
It has gradually seated in us in us. So same thing with bragging about ourselves, we need to practice, we need to use different language to communicate communicate with our own selves, and at the beginning obviously be okay with feeling uncomfortable bragging
about ourselves to then feel comfortable about it. And one of the words that I've been using for a while now it is like be arrogant, be respectfully, arrogant, you know, exaggerate your talent exaggerate your self worth exaggerate your value.
And if you're not doing it, there's no one else going to be doing it for you. Exactly. And then additionally to that, okay, we go back to like you know, in history colonization that had a lot to do with it.
That's one thing and then women especially up until now I mean, not too long ago women had the right to be participating in medical investigations for medicine for women.
And they had all this medicine for women, but it was not necessarily based on an on a study based on women is like, oh my gosh. So, I mean, it's not only the immediate environment and a stimulus and whatever, but also generational.
And also, like, what and now it's even broader because of social media.
And how social media is portraying what is supposed to look like, and don't take me wrong social media is amazing he has amazing stuff and whatnot. But for someone else goes to still very confused and lost in their identity.
It could be a double edged sword.
It's definitely a double edged sword. And it's a very slippery slope, especially for our for our students, you know, yes, I mean, oh my gosh. I mean, like, I think it was.
It was it. Oh, it was Julia Robert. She said that she had, I just saw this she had she had put a post, just a regular post on Facebook or on something a per and her knees playing a game.
And she's and she just you know it was just having coffee at the hair pulled up you know that you're not not all, you know, showered and fixed and everything just having coffee playing games with her knees.
And she said, you know, there's a number of comments that were so mean and so negative about this is how you look at me all this stuff and she said now, I know who I am, I am confident in who I am but it still hurt my feeling.
I cannot imagine being a child.
Totally. I'll hearing that who doesn't necessarily know who they are yet who doesn't understand their self worth, and who is coming from a historical perspective, whether this no touches their nerve or not but whenever there has been discrimination there has been that
there have been women that haven't been that didn't have the rights that other people have and there are still systems in place that are set up that that oppress people.
Yes, the reality I mean it's true and it just happened so we got to figure out how do we get our young students, people that elevate their voice in such a way to allow them to be able to be in that space to be respectfully arrogant because they bring so much to the
time that we thought, listen, lead and learn together, and then have them be in these positions where they can really set off another trajectory to best serve all of our students.
Absolutely 100% agree with you. And not only they have, they have a harder now to go through the 30 years where they're starting to define their identity and where do I belong, how do I want to behave or look like or be or whatever.
There's too much out there too many options that if you know they don't bring it down to what it is right now and where you are right now in the present like Mike was saying at the beginning, being the present moment, which is very important and it's, it's you know one of one of the hardest
things to do especially nowadays with all the stimulus going on.
They can get lost.
I heard you mentioned also about that feeling of unworthiness. Yes, that is, it's the tough pill to swallow, right.
Because you, I want you to know as your friend, your new friend here you are. Thank you. You know that now.
But we but we do have students that go through this week, we have teachers we have adults, there's no age limit to these feelings.
And I think it's something that I have to recognize that you know you have to work through daily. There's not one day you wake up you're like, oh, ill worthy.
I wish you would have been that easy.
I know right, me too we'd be making a fortune.
But the truth is, the reality is and I think I mentioned this, maybe in this session with with you whenever I was in Colorado, but they're speaking about our to our students again and about our students.
I had encouraged leadership to sit down with the students to review their English language acquisition plan and have this conversation about how their bilingualism and multilingualism was a superpower and trying to change this conversation.
So, apart from the requirements of having to take your language assessment.
You know we to tell past whatever anyone has in their state.
That apart from that, there's really an opportunity to have a really different conversation to change what multiculturalism and multilingualism looks like so as the teacher was bringing in the students to first, you know, celebrate their bilingualism by culturalism and by literacy.
And I had like a little kind of guide for them to follow through because again, these are monolingual leaders, right, talking to multilingual students.
Because they didn't know like what are the benefits of bilingualism.
And beyond helping people and maybe making more money. They don't know what else to say about it and there's so much more to it than just helping people and making money there are health benefits, etc. So anyhow, point being is that they took my advice and was bringing in the students to have a conversation with them one on one.
To be able to, you know, encourage them.
That's awesome. In the meeting though, she said miss, or the students that miss.
I always thought that this was just a test for dumb.
Oh my gosh.
The student was in ninth grade.
Wow. I say it, and I just say exactly what she told me and because you can feel it right I feel it already like this. Oh, it's so heavy right now.
But that wasn't the intention that the other people necessarily had, but it was, it was a moment where they were able to recognize their unawareness. Yes, of what they have not been doing, but they have not been saying to the people that they have not invited to the table,
the students they haven't been listening to the way that they've been talking about quote unquote, those students have been doing so much othering for kinder first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, finally I'm in ninth grade. I mean, that is so much time to feel like you're are unworthy.
Yes.
She changed the conversation, and it was really an amazing thing that happened is that then she sent me a video of that same student kind of giving the pep talk to the other ninth graders about taking their way to access test to really show off their bilingual
superpowers and be one step closer to the syllabi literacy so it changed. Yeah, it was amazing to the conversation, but it really been a perspective for the leaders and I would like, you know, for you to share about not only what was your feeling of that unworthiness
and why did you necessarily feel that way. And then how can we help encourage our students and our teachers and our leaders to ensure that they don't feel that unworthiness, especially our multicultural and linguistically diverse.
First of all, I love that activity because I think both sides of the coin and need, you know, to be not to be educated but that's not the word I'm looking for but like to be aware of everybody's talents, and just because both spectrums have been impacted by
society throughout history, right. And like I was, I was saying in one of the presentations that I recently have racism discrimination stereotypes and all that it's not a person is the concept that has been going on for many many centuries.
And it's not going to go away anytime soon. So, the beauty of it is that when you are aware, then you don't take it that personal you know is there. Yes, you acknowledge it.
But then, like you did, you help other people on being aware of this is actually what he, what reality looks like, you know.
One of the things that I've observed throughout my career in both education and business is that a lot of leaders from, I would say, mostly any ethnic background, sometimes lack the process of personal development and really reconnecting with themselves.
And when that is lacking from what I've noticed and observed. That's what it's, it's really hard to help someone else, become aware of something, because you are not aware of it yourself.
I would. I think I know I don't think I strongly believe
I'm not going to be fired again so
no longer I think but I strongly believe.
I strongly believe that, especially in education there is need, there is a need in that area of life of reconnecting with your authentic self. So you can acknowledge like I was we were talking before, all of these different dynamics and, and people not being aware of things
and, and hidden beliefs hidden stereotypes hidden racism hidden this and that.
And, and use convert every single comment, like this ninth grader did into a teachable learning moment that is going to bring to fructition, a totally different perspective in this future generation.
And it's really important for us to elevate the voices of our students to learn from them, because if we're the ones serving those students.
And we already know that there's going to be things that we are unaware of and so as we're, we're trying to help them get to the path that they want and need to be on whether that be, you know, a university degree, whether it be in the workforce,
whatever it be, no matter whatever they want to do, but allowing them to be able to get there and us listening to them.
Between what we know what to do I always say like we know accreditation, we know our state standards, we know what we have to do.
I was going to go there in a minute I'm like there are all these requirements.
We can check the boxes we can get that done, but our pedagogical practice like the art and the science and that that level of cultural proficiency that happens to our schools and how we implement that in such a very strategic and
meaningful to be an incredibly meaningful and important way. I feel like and I say this often and I had read it in the literature, doing my research but I just I love this phrase of like it's a moral imperative.
That we do this and if we do not allow the space for our students to be our professors to teach us, then we can't really be a servant leader. We can't really create that space because all I'm doing is how I did it last year.
Exactly. And he goes, and he goes.
I love that. And he goes I think through all the levels in education you know.
From the superintendent or whoever is above that person, all the way to the student and vice versa, including the parents.
Yeah, definitely including the parents, but I feel like sometimes so much, and this is I mean this is just general speaking so all the listeners out there I mean I'm there there are superheroes that are that are true examples of what of what I'm amazing, you know, more of.
But you know in my own personal experiences so I can only speak to those.
The leadership is more focused on the managerial side of things, then they are on the actual person, the actual person, the human side of all of this and recognizing, you know, recognizing individual people, the ones that you know your teachers, your parents, your teachers, your teachers, your teachers.
Your parents, the most important stakeholders, your students.
And, but even being in that level of the superintendent role and knowing that the superintendent role, obviously requires a lot of a lot of different leadership activity, right.
Right. But you are still the instructional leader of that district.
You are still the person who allows the space the exposure, the opportunities and the availability for these conversations to happen.
And so the more that we can really help and support our leaders in recognizing, maybe their unawareness.
Then we can make different decisions when it comes to how we do budget, how title free funding to how we use bilingual funding to how we appropriate this to how we consider what our master's schedule looks like, what classes we can offer, how it includes cultures
because we can still meet the standards and we can still get a credit exactly in such a way to be of service for the community where I have chosen to work, and they did not choose to necessarily go to school there.
How do I help benefit the community at large because that school district is the heartbeat of the community.
Totally. Thousand percent.
I mean, and I think you're elected Kelly.
Thank you.
You know, putting all that into place is actually more powerful and more inspiring for everybody involved in the education of our generations, either past or future or whatever.
And I think that you don't that it comes to a place like you're saying where you don't have to worry about meeting the standards because you know that's going to happen.
Or default, it'll happen. Exactly.
Exactly.
So, I just want to add something really quick.
Yeah.
If you guys out there, keep up on doing your amazing job.
From experience of 20 plus years myself, I know that, even though you are technically confined in that classroom with either 15 to 30 amazing human beings.
A lot of them are going to remember you because you change their lives, either in kinder first second all the way through whatever you're teaching.
Keep up doing your amazing job. And even though you don't feel worthy or being worth or being valued mainly or listen to still please do your job.
Especially the elementary years. Yeah, I am. I'm so glad that you that you say that and I you know at the same in the same vein I also want to say thank you so much to all of our leaders out there all of the teachers.
I want to do a special shout out to the ones that in whomever is listening whomever's out there you know this to the ones that go above and beyond. Yes, the ones that have the hard conversation to the one who knows that this is going to ruffle some feathers whenever
I pose this question. This is going to be a difficult hard conversation but you're doing it in the best interest of students because you have seen a system place that was either systematically or themically not doing what it's best to be of service for the community at large into your
students. And so for all of those leaders and educators out there who go that extra mile who create that ecosystem to ask the hard questions and ensure culturally proficient practices, and that they are getting rid of destructive practices.
Thank you so much for institutionalizing cultural knowledge in such a way that impact the lives and the legacies of our students.
I call those just like me, secretly or secretive rule breakers. Yes.
Uh huh. Yeah, yeah, just you know, a little bit. Not too bad. You know, once in a while you gotta like, shake it up a little bit.
And it's the truth, you know, and if we're going to talk the talk, then by golly you better walk the walk.
Yes.
Absolutely.
Uh huh. And it's not for us. It's for the kids.
And again, whenever it was through that cleanse of gratitude, it always, it always feels so much better. And it's actually really easy to do.
That's true. It just becomes second nature.
Now, Suzy, before we sign off of here, I really want to give you just so much of myself when I just say like, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, because you're sharing so much.
You've gone through so many life experiences that have really made you stop and think and reflect and probably close your eyes and really listen just to your inner self.
And you got rid of so many labels. You are a visionary. You've done so much for students, you've helped them see themselves in spaces where they didn't think they could before.
And you really are an example of the change that we want to see in the world. And I'm just so glad that I got to meet you on that one day that I didn't know was going to be a day that would ultimately impact me and change and change my life for the better.
So if you're doing that with me with just a short time, I can't imagine what that what that looks like for all of the other amazing people who get to be around you and most specifically any students that get to be around you.
But is there anything that you would like to share with any of our listeners out there, whether they be in the pre K through 12 education filled university sector, or even beyond in any corporation, perhaps anything that you want to share in this moment with them.
I want to say I take all of those words to the heart and use them for the rest of the year in my life to feel cheered up and worthy. Yeah, yeah, especially arrogant.
I'm going to make a T shirt on continuous servicing my community, our youth and whatnot. So thank you so much for having me here. Just, you know, I know it's tough.
I know it's hard, especially for all the different factors being involved in our education world.
But continue. Don't lose hope, keep your hope, your faith, your dedication your passion intact.
So you are showing up for every single one of those lives with a smile.
I think you're an incredible example of anyone can overcome any obstacle, and they can still be incredibly successful I just truly you're you're a huge inspiration, and I thank you for having to to have you here, and be not only just a guest on cultural
connections lab but more importantly a new friend in my life.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, and I appreciate everything everything.
And Megan I don't know me go those like he couldn't Mike.
Just so everyone knows who's listening, we will have the link to your website that will be in the description for this podcast episode but in case anyone is interested. It is, as you as I strategist, calm, again that's as you as I.
Strat.com and that's where you can find some more information about our amazing guests. This is the most data. Is there any other place where they can find you.
Instagram, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, you can find me there too with Susie Mosqueda as you see he see IE mo is QEDA, and you can find me in Instagram as well.
Yeah, let's continue impacting lives. Yes.
So you and I let's continue this conversation as well and then we'll, we'll, I know through our conversations, we will come up with another great topic to discuss and we'll come back for around to.
Absolutely I would love to thank you so much.
Thank you so much to all the listeners out there. Thank you for taking the time to be with us today. I hope that you were able to take something from this conversation and you can apply in a positive way in your lives.
And shout out to our producer Mike overhaul. Thank you for all that you do to help us sound good and cultural connections lab. Thank you to edge of skills our sponsor for this podcast.
And most importantly, thank you to all the listeners for spending your time with us today. I hope you have a great day and for everyone.
Enjoying have loved live and laugh as much as you can. All right. See you guys later next time and audio.
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