Teacher offers hope for undocumented students

As a teacher, Julita Rincon is very open about sharing her story of becoming a U.S. citizen.

“As a teacher, every year I meet students from other countries who would be beneficiaries of DACA. Some of them are very afraid. I’ve had students come to me crying and saying, ‘Miss, are they going to have to deport my parents?’

“You have to do your job as an educator, and I do that. I love my job, and I do it well. But without being political, you also need to have sympathy and reassure these kids that, hopefully, everything is going to be fine.

“Sometimes, kids push your buttons and will ask, ‘Hey, do you have your papers, Miss Rincon?’ It happens every year. The first time, I got very upset but I kept it together. The second time, I used it as an opportunity to explain how it is for many people, and how difficult their lives can be.

“Education is a powerful thing. I’m always very open about my story. You don’t need to have a long conversation about it every time; how you crossed the border and made it. But if some of these kids see that, hey, she was like me. Maybe one day, I can be like her. That’s all worth it.

“Just being there for these students and encouraging them can make a huge difference. Believe it or not, there’s not a lot of empathy out there these days.”