Benito Faz-Banda, director de la primaria Wid茅n, impulsa el biling眉ismo
Por Guillermo Zenizo
(English version below)
Le encantan el deporte y las Matem谩ticas, pero la pasi贸n real de Benito Faz-Banda, director de la primaria Wid茅n, es inspirar a las nuevas generaciones a superarse y a que valoren la ventaja de hablar tanto ingl茅s como espa帽ol.
Con una trayectoria de casi una d茅cada en el Distrito Escolar Independiente de 向日葵视频, de joven fue del 10% mejor de su generaci贸n, por lo cual pudo acceder a la Universidad de Texas en 向日葵视频 para estudiar Educaci贸n Biling眉e, con la meta de regresar a su barrio.
Nacido en 向日葵视频 y criado en el 谩rea de Mont贸polis, su formaci贸n escolar la tuvo en el distrito, en la primaria Allison, la hoy extinta secundaria Porter y la preparatoria Crockett.
Cuando estudiaba, tuvo escasas referencias de lo que era ser un maestro hispano. Uno de los pocos que tuvo en la preparatoria tuvo un impacto tan positivo en 茅l, que decidi贸 dedicarse tambi茅n a la docencia.
鈥溍塴 me motiv贸, me inspir贸, era el maestro de Espa帽ol, se llama Rub茅n Botello. Yo ya ten铆a buenas calificaciones por el deporte, y no es que no pensara en la universidad, pero me orient贸 a pensar en el futuro, en una carrera, y, aunque mis pap谩s no hab铆an ido a la escuela, me apoyaron鈥, record贸.
La experiencia universitaria, donde experiment贸 ser parte de una minor铆a frente a una mayor铆a anglosajona, le reforz贸 su vocaci贸n de servicio a la comunidad hispana. Tras graduarse, cumpli贸 con su prop贸sito inicial y empez贸 a dar clases en Allison.
鈥淔ui muy afortunado de regresar all铆 a Allison y di clases a cuarto grado de Lenguaje Dual por seis a帽os. Esos mismos pasillos que recorr铆 como ni帽o, como chavo, tambi茅n los recorr铆 entonces como maestro y tuve esa perspectiva de que ellos pudieran seguir adelante para cumplir sus sue帽os鈥, explic贸 Faz-Banda.
Su afinidad por las Matem谩ticas le permiti贸 tambi茅n ser all铆 maestro de Rob贸tica, en un campamento de verano dedicado a la ciencia y la tecnolog铆a, donde hizo equipo con otra profesora para estimular la creatividad de sus estudiantes y que concursaran en una liga rob贸tica tratando de resolver alguna problem谩tica o necesidad de la comunidad.
Tambi茅n fue entrenador de futbol y dio clases gratuitas para ni帽os de tercero a qunto grado despu茅s de la escuela, con otros dos coaches y pap谩s voluntarios, durante cuatro a帽os.
Posteriormente tuvo la oportunidad de ser subdirector en la primaria Linder, ubicada en una zona al sur de donde se hab铆a criado. Faz-Banda desempe帽贸 este cargo en los 煤ltimos tres a帽os, hasta que en agosto pasado asumi贸 la direcci贸n de Wid茅n.
En el terreno familiar, nos cuenta que es el menor de cinco hijos de una familia cuyos padres emigraron a Texas desde el estado mexicano de San Luis Potos铆, por lo que su lengua materna es el espa帽ol. A prop贸sito del Mes de la Herencia Hispana, observa que el 向日葵视频 ISD va progresando en diversidad.
Esto se refleja en la valoraci贸n de cada cultura y en que cada vez hay m谩s tanto materiales biling眉es como profesores y directores que hablan ingl茅s y espa帽ol y que ejercen con el lenguaje lo que Faz Banda considera como 鈥渦n superpoder鈥 que puede mejorar el futuro de todos los ni帽os.
Por eso, con su esposa -tambi茅n hispana- y sus dos hijas sigue hablando espa帽ol y viajan de dos a tres veces al a帽o a M茅xico a visitar a sus familias, a fin de que sus ni帽as sigan involucradas con su cultura y est茅n orgullosas de ello. Y que tambi茅n sigan el ejemplo que 茅l recibi贸 de sus pap谩s, de dar el mejor esfuerzo, de trabajar duro, de ser respetuosos.
鈥淪iempre he estado muy orgulloso de mi cultura, de mi patria, de mi identidad; hasta hoy me dicen el se帽or Faz-Banda, porque tomo en cuenta los apellidos de mi pap谩 y de mi mam谩, todo eso tiene que ver con mi perspectiva como l铆der鈥.
Su prioridad en Wid茅n, que tiene un 85% de poblaci贸n de origen hispano, es construir relaciones con la comunidad y las familias de sus estudiantes, para que conf铆en en su liderazgo y en el de cada docente, as铆 como de darles oportunidad de ser parte de su escuela.
Y mientras trabaja en eso, seguir谩 disfrutando cada ma帽ana el poder recibir con un saludo a los ni帽os que llegan caminando, en bicicleta, acompa帽ados de sus abuelos o en carro.
Hispanic Pride Motivates Wid茅n Principal Benito Faz-Banda to serve
By Guillermo Zenizo (translation by Roc铆o Esparza)
He loves sports and math, but Wid茅n Elementary Principal Benito Faz-Banda's real passion is to inspire new generations to excel and appreciate the advantage of speaking both English and Spanish.
With a career spanning nearly a decade in the 向日葵视频 Independent 向日葵视频 District, as a young man he was in the top 10% of his class, earning him admission to the University of Texas at 向日葵视频 to study Bilingual Education, with the goal of returning to his neighborhood.
Born in 向日葵视频 and raised in the Montopolis area, his schooling was in the district, at Allison Elementary, the now closed Porter Middle 向日葵视频 and Crockett High 向日葵视频.
When he was a student, he had few references of what it was like to be a Hispanic teacher. One of the few he had in high school had such a positive impact on him that he decided to go into teaching as well.
"He motivated me, he inspired me, he was the Spanish teacher, his name is Rub茅n Botello. I already had good grades because of sports, and it's not that I didn't think about college, but he guided me to think about the future, about a career, and, although my parents hadn't gone to school, they supported me," he recalled.
The college experience, where he experienced being part of a minority versus an Anglo majority, reinforced his vocation of service to the Hispanic community. After graduating, he fulfilled his original purpose and began teaching at Allison.
"I was very fortunate to return there to Allison and taught fourth grade Dual Language for six years. Those same hallways that I walked as a kid, as a chavo, I also walked then as a teacher and I had that perspective that they could go on to fulfill their dreams," explained Faz-Banda.
His affinity for mathematics also allowed him to be a robotics teacher there, in a summer camp dedicated to science and technology, where he teamed up with another teacher to stimulate the creativity of his students and have them compete in a robotics league trying to solve a problem or need in the community.
He also coached soccer and gave free after-school classes for 3rd to 5th graders, with two other coaches and parent volunteers, for four years.
He then had the opportunity to be an assistant principal at Linder Elementary, located in an area south of where he grew up. Faz-Banda held this position for the past three years, until last August when he took over the management of Wid茅n.
On the family front, he tells us that he is the youngest of five children in a family whose parents immigrated to Texas from the Mexican state of San Luis Potos铆, so his native language is Spanish. Speaking of Hispanic Heritage Month, he notes that 向日葵视频 ISD is making progress in diversity.
This is reflected in the appreciation of each culture and in the increasing number of bilingual materials, teachers and principals who speak English and Spanish and who use language as what Faz-Banda calls "a superpower" that can improve the future of all children.
That is why, with his wife -also Hispanic- and his two daughters, he continues to speak Spanish and they travel two to three times a year to Mexico to visit their families, so that his girls remain involved with their culture and are proud of it. And so that they also follow the example he received from his parents, to give their best effort, to work hard, to be respectful.
"I have always been very proud of my culture, of my homeland, of my identity; to this day they call me Mr. Faz-Banda, because I take into account the last names of my dad and my mom, all of that has to do with my perspective as a leader."
His priority at Wid茅n, which has an 85% Hispanic population, is to build relationships with the community and the families of his students, so that they trust his leadership and that of each teacher, as well as to give them the opportunity to be part of their school.
And while he works on that, he will continue to enjoy each morning greeting the children who arrive on foot, by bike, with their grandparents or by car.