There’s a new addition to the foreign language department this year and she’s just what the doctor ordered. Mrs. Consuelo Forero, whose first name literally translates to “comfort,” is loved by her new students. Mrs. Forero always greets her students with a friendly smile and can be counted on to give great advice to any student in need.

Mrs. Forero has always had a love for education. In Columbia, she and her four siblings grew up on a farm. There was a governess on the farm who taught Mrs. Forero and her brothers. Mrs. Forero said, “I remember those days fondly because we had a lot of freedom to learn and enjoyed life in the farm. Life was more than very simple, we didn’t have electricity and of course no tv, no radio, just books and the cooking was done in a coal stove. There was only one car that we used only on Sundays to go to church, otherwise we rode bicycles, horses or walked.” Her father shared that love for education, and moved their family to the city of Bogata so they could go to school and later, university. While in university, Mrs. Forero had to teach herself English because all of the books for her classes were in English, giving her no choice but to learn it (and us no excuses for not learning Spanish!).

Mrs. Forero has 5 kids, 3 grandkids and many students that she says have kept her young for many years. When you walk into Mrs. Forero’s class, you are in for more than just a Spanish lesson. Mrs. Forero keeps her students aware and active in using their second language by discussing important world issues. And when she sees a struggling student who seems to be drowning in the Spanish vocabulary and the multiple tenses that come with it, Mrs. Forero is sure to swoop in with a pep talk that sets the student back on a confident path. One of my high points of my school day is going to her class, hearing her stories, and becoming a better student.

Senora Forero es muy maravillosa con un corazón más grande que nadie. Te amamos, maestra!*

Read below to learn more about Mrs. Forero:

1. Where did you grow up? Have you lived any other places before landing here? I was born in Bogota, Colombia. We moved to the states 32 years ago when Citibank transferred my husband to work in the Big Apple. After a while in Manhattan, we moved to Connecticut, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and finally Rocky Mount.
2. Where did you go to college, and what was your favorite thing to study? I studied Business Administration at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota. My favorite subject was Financial Analysis.
3. Did you have any other jobs before you became a teacher? If so, what were they? After I graduated, I worked for the Treasury Department in Colombia, and with the consortium of Exxon-Carbocol. I also taught Finance at a University before I had my first child.
4. What inspired you to become a teacher? When we moved to the states, I did not know anybody who could help me taking care of the kids, so I became a full time mom. I loved it so much that when people began asking why I was not working, I used to say I was doing my PHD in child rearing. (They believed me with no explanations). I volunteered in the schools until one day they offered me a job as an assistant to the teacher in the gifted program. Then the rest is history, I became a full Spanish teacher and I have been doing it for 16 years.
5. What is your favorite part about RMA? The students’ joyfulness and motivation to learn, the permanent support of the administration and the feeling of calm, peace and a big smile that I take to my house at the end of the day.
6. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would love to snap my fingers and go to Colombia and kiss my old mommy, hug my brothers and then snap again and spy from the sky to see if my kids are happy, and snap again and go back to my house. I would snap fingers every day and maybe many times a day, and I would share this superpower with whoever misses their family.
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Any place where I could be useful.
8. What is the best piece of advice you have to give students? Open your mind and your heart to new people, dare to change, share and enjoy every minute of your life.(Listen to romantic music even if you are not in love).
9. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not teaching? Read, knit and cook.
10. If could only pick one movie to watch for the rest of your life, what would it be? Can I cheat and say two? The Cider House Rules and Little Miss Sunshine.

*Mrs. Forero is wonderful with a heart bigger than anyone else. We love you!