Posters with Spanish vocabulary words cover a wall of a classroom. An American flag hangs from the top of a board. A woman stands at the front of a class of young children. The logo for Indiana University Kokomo, appears.

[ Music ]

The woman sits at a desk. On screen text. Jocelyn Aguilar Castro, B S 18. First Grade Teacher - Landis Elementary School.

>> This is where I was meant to be.

 

Ever since I was little, I would play like teacher at home, you know, my mom always knew it, but they were always supportive, letting me know, and like go through the process of discovering what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

So, it just means everything to me really.

Just because it's for them, it's for my parents, like this diploma is for them, and everything I do is just to make them proud.

[ Foreign Language Spoken ]

At the front of the class, she holds up a pointer to a projector screen.

Jocelyn walks around the class speaking to students. A boy holds open a Spanish-language book.

So, I'm a first grade dual language immersion Spanish teacher.

 

That's a really long title.

But what we do here is I have 52 kids.

And then half the day, they spend it in Spanish with me.

So, with me, they're learning math and Spanish phonics.

We do, also do science and a little bit of like cultural things, you know, to go along with the Spanish.

And then we switch and then they go to the English side with my English partner who speaks English to them.

Then they do reading, language, arts and phonics and a bit of social studies in there.

So, I had friends who had already gone through IUK.

And I just knew that going there was close by and I could still get the same IU degree.

My classes weren't going to be as big as a larger university, but I didn't really think that I'd get so personal with my professors, you know, and that I'd actually get to know them.

And that was really nice because it was easier to talk to them about questions or concerns I had so that that was probably one of my favorite parts about IUK too, just getting to know my professors.

Jocelyn points to blocks on a screen, holding up fingers to the class as they count. Later, she writes the answer to a math problem on the board. The students write on their worksheets.

I just want kids to look at me and know that they can achieve their goals and their dreams.

And I, my kiddos, they just, a lot of them relate to me.

You know? They have the same type of background as I do.

And it really means a lot for them to look at me and be like, wow, she, she can, she's bilingual, you know, she's a teacher, I can do that too.

Or they can just, or they can just be anything anywhere and just know that as long as they put their heart and mind into something, they can achieve it.

Jocelyn sits across from some of her students as they work. On screen text. Apply today at I U K dot, E D U slash, apply.

[ Music ]

On screen text. Indiana University Kokomo. Fulfilling the promise. I U K dot, E D U.