When I was eight years old, I left Mexico and came to the United States. Everything was new. A new home. A new school. A new language. And I was scared. I felt so lost and alone. 

I started at Kerman Floyd Elementary during the last part of third grade.

On my first day, I walked into a classroom where everyone spoke English.

There was just one problem...

I didn't know a single word of English. My teacher did not know a word of Spanish. 

My teacher didn't speak Spanish, and I couldn't understand him.

I didn't know what he was saying.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

I had no friends.

I felt lost, scared, and alone.

I hated school, and I wanted to go back to the place that felt like home.

Then, during my second week of school, someone new came into our classroom.

Her name was Mrs. Maldonado.

And she spoke Spanish!

For the first time, someone at school could understand me.

But more importantly...

she noticed me.

Mrs. Maldonado was kind to me.

One day, she asked me in Spanish,

"What is something you really want?"

I didn't have to think very long.

"I want to speak English. I want to read it and write it too."

Mrs. Maldonado told me she had an idea.

While the other kids went outside for recess, she would stay inside and teach me English one-on-one.

She asked my teacher if it was okay.

He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Whatever."

But to me, it wasn't just whatever.

Every recess, we worked together.

We practiced words.

We read.

We wrote.

Sometimes learning was hard, but Mrs. Maldonado was patient with me.

Little by little, the sounds around me started becoming words I understood.

After about two months, something amazing happened.

I could speak English!

I could only speak a little, but I could speak.

And I understood so much more.

For the first time, I didn't feel completely lost.

School started to feel different.

I became more confident.

I could understand my classmates.

I could talk to people.

I didn't feel as alone anymore.

For the first time since coming to the United States, I started to feel like I belonged.