Celebrant Pam Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Preschool Teacher Dreams Big
Contributed by: Pam Vetter

10/12/06 Valley News Article

The one person who should be reading this story, doesn't have the internet. Her name is Maria Flores.

She dreams of having the internet and a new computer for her 12-year-old son one day. She dreams of owning a house one day. She dreams of living in a safe area of the West Valley where she works. She dreams of sending her son to a University one day. While she dreams big, Flores takes life one dream at a time and works hard toward each goal.

"Nothing is for free. You have to work hard to reach your dreams," Flores said with a smile.

Her smile speaks volumes. She is thankful for the life she has in California. She is grateful every day for her son George Flores, who wears uniforms and attends Woodland Hills Academy, formerly Parkman Middle School.

But, Flores lives in an apartment in Panorama City. It's not safe. She and her son cannot walk outside due to the crime in her neighborhood. She was fortunate to get her son into Woodland Hills Academy, closer to where she works as a preschool teacher for 2- and 3-year-olds at Halsey Schools. She loves her job. In fact, she is celebrating eight years as a teacher at Halsey this month. It is amazing the steps she took to reach the professional level she has attained today.

Flores was born in a small town near Quito, Ecuador. She grew up with her brother, Geovani Munoz, and her mother in a poor neighborhood. The three of them lived in a small one-room apartment. There was no indoor bathroom, only an outhouse. They shared everything. Her mother worked as a housekeeper. She worked hard so her children could have an education. Unlike the United States, everyone did not have the opportunity to attend high school. It was her mother's dream for her children to go to high school. It was a dream come true when they both graduated.

"My mother inspired me to do more. I wanted to go to the University, but then you either went full-time to the University or you worked full-time. You couldn't do both. My dream was to go to the University. I came out of high school with a degree as a Bilingual Secretary. To finish high school was a big deal, not like here. So my new dream was to go and finish a degree at a University. I also wanted to help my mom, like she helped me," Flores said with a tear in her eye.

In 1988, Flores came to the United States for opportunities.

"My dreams got bigger. My dream was to buy a house for my mom back home. So, I went to work to save money. I found work as a nanny with Lisa Sandler. She and her husband were so nice and they had one child at the time, Andrew. I was attached to them, a wonderful family. I lived there for a few years. Lisa was the one who sent me to school to learn English. She would drive me to Canoga Park High School in the evenings to learn English. Education was so important to my future. The family was so nice to me. They had two more wonderful children, David and Dana. I'm so close to the kids. And, I had a child of my own, George. Being a mom is a beautiful experience, so nice," Flores said while watching her son play AYSO soccer.

It helped that the Sandler family believed in her, every step of the way. Flores graduated from English classes and took computer classes at the West Valley Occupational Center. When she felt a dream coming on and was finding her independence, she got an apartment in Panorama City. She didn't want to waste time either. She felt she needed to learn more, beyond English and computers. She always liked little children and one day she went to Pierce College and enrolled in classes. She earned her credentials in child development and landed a job at Halsey.

For the past eight years, she has worked at Halsey with children. She loves being a preschool teacher. "It's been a very good experience. Mr. Halsey and Jenny Rice are very nice to me, the other teachers are nice, the parents and the kids are nice. It was a dream come true," Flores said.

Flores continues to dream big.

"My dream now is to finish a Bachelor's degree in Child Development and Education. My dream is to go to the University. But, I dream for George first. I want George to finish school and go to the University, get a good education," Flores explained. "Education was key to my success. You have to learn English, you must have a dream, and then give back to the community in some way."

George smiles when you ask him about his mom. "I'm so proud of her," he said.

Taking after his mother, George also shares his dreams. "My dream is to go to the University and then I want to play professional soccer."

"Anything is possible because California changed my life," Flores said to her son.

Flores makes you a believer. Ten years ago, after saving her money, another dream came true when Flores bought her mother a small house in Ecuador with indoor plumbing.

"I still help my grandma, my mother, and my brother back home. Nothing comes easy. Everybody has to work hard, but if you do it the right way, your dreams can come true. If you try it, you can do it. I've made sure my son has medical and dental insurance. I think ahead for him. We can't walk outside in Panorama City but I imagine what it's like to take an evening stroll in Tarzana or Canoga Park or Woodland Hills outside your own house..." As her words trailed off, Flores added, "We will always have our dreams."

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