Because of Her: A Tribute to the Teacher Who Changed My Life

Walking into the room was scary. Why did I have to take a foreign language class anyway? Sitting down with my books on the desk, I looked around and saw others with the same concern, or pretending they didn’t care. A short, gray-haired, energetic teacher walked into the room. Her face was round and ruddy, and her belly jiggled like a bowl full of jelly—just like Santa Claus. Today was my first day in Spanish class.

Up to that point, my mom and dad had told me I could be anything I wanted. But I didn’t know what I wanted to be. My mom worked at a bank, which sounded nice, and she would say, “Yes, that’s fine, but honey, you can be anything you want to be.” I dropped it. It seemed too serious to decide at eight, nine, or ten what I wanted to be when I grew up. And then there was Miss Staley. This amazing woman introduced me to the Spanish language, culture, food, music, and everything Latino.

Looking back on my life, as many of us do when we're almost 60, Miss Staley was the person who brought my life trajectory and purpose into focus. I finally knew that whatever I was going to be, it was going to include Spanish. Guiding me through those four years, which included an exchange program to Quito, Ecuador, was part of her purpose. She started it all.

Miss Staley passed away on June 3, 2024, at the age of 83. She had been battling Parkinson’s disease. I’m sure she knew her impact on my life as she followed my career path and checked in with me from time to time at church. But I doubt she truly knew how much I thought of her and that she really is the reason why I do what I do. No, she didn’t help me with my leadership development or executive coaching programs, but she did help me realize that my life wasn’t complete without Spanish.

Because of her, I am an entrepreneur today.

Because of her, I am an executive coach.

Because of her, I am an online group coaching program developer.

Because of her, I am an expert in communication.

Did you have a teacher like that? Someone who poured into you? Someone who saw something in you and reached out to guide you to the next step in your journey? I hope you did, and even more importantly, I hope you’re a person like Miss Staley to someone else. We don’t have to be teachers to do that.

It’s basically what I do every day. I help women develop their authentic leadership style and enhance their executive presence. And I hope that someday, there’s a woman who says that I started it all and changed the trajectory of her life.

Let’s hold on to that thought today. Who in your life can you pour into? Who in your life needs your guidance as a mentor or sponsor? Who is that person who needs your help?