San Jacinto College has a rich history of cultural diversity, with students attending from all over the world. Myrna Perez, who teaches developmental integrated reading and writing, says everyone benefits when people of all backgrounds lay aside prejudice and celebrate our diversity.
“America has always been a melting pot with a rich mixture of different nationalities and cultures,” Perez commented. “Why should we not all want to learn from other cultures? We should not label each other, because preconceived notions can be wrong. In this nation we have such a great opportunity to celebrate all of our different cultures and learn from one another.”
Perez grew up in Mexico and says it is imperative for Latino young people to pursue a college education. “It is now estimated that Latinos make up about 36 percent of the population in Texas, so it’s not hard to see what the future could hold for this state,” she commented. “There could definitely be a big shortage in the area of a well-trained skilled workforce.”
She is especially concerned that the high school dropout rate among Latino young people ranks higher nationally than most other ethnic groups, although there has been improvement in recent years. “That makes me sad because America is a land of opportunity and it is unfortunate to see many Hispanic young people not taking advantage of opportunities to pursue education,” she said. “I have heard it said that Latino parents do not really care if their sons or daughters attend college, but I can tell you as one who knows the Latino culture that such a notion is a myth. They want their kids to attend college, but there are hurdles that often stand in the way.” Perez said that many Latino parents and their children often cannot figure out the steps for attending college – registration, applying for financial aid, applying for scholarships, etc. – and there are not enough role models who stress the importance of education. “When I was a girl growing up in Mexico, I dreamed of attending college largely because my older siblings attended college and they were my role models,” she remarked.
Perez’ personal teaching philosophy is to serve as an encourager and an enabler to students. “I believe learning must be meaningful and there is more to effective learning than just teaching concepts and curriculum,” she said. “I encourage students to be lifelong learners, always exploring and learning, not just at school. I get to know students personally and let each one know I believe in them. I try to give each one a sense of importance, especially those who seem to have low self-esteem.”
Perez holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and a master’s in education from Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. She is certified as a Developmental Education Specialist by the Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State University. She joined San Jacinto College in 2003 and has served as a reading instructor, and served as the Reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages department chair at the North Campus. She currently teaches developmental integrated reading and writing and a student success course in the College’s preparatory division. She also serves as coordinator of the College’s Intentional Connections program, which mentors low-performing college preparatory students.
Rob Vanya