When I was in high school, I was the president of the Spanish Club at both of the high schools that I attended. It seems a highly unlikely role for me to have and at the same time, it was exactly what I wanted to do.
I loved going to her home for many reasons, not the least of which was the food. She was an amazing cook and she made Mexican and MEx-Tex meals that we never had at my house. I always enjoyed the afternoon snacks or the rare opportunity to eat a full meal with her and her family.
Nothing has changed about my love affair with the foods from Mexico and South Texas.
Another thing that I enjoyed about being at her home was that she spoke Spanish to her sons and I had never been around people speaking a different language. I was intrigued by it and my curiosity got the best of me when I asked if she could teach me some words. She agreed and time I knew enough words to have a basic conversation with her or her sons.
It wasn’t until I reached middle school that I was able to study Spanish as an elective. I was thrilled to get to learn more vocabulary and the mechanics of the language. I looked forward to Spanish class as much as Geography.
When I got to high school, Spanish became ever more important to me because of my teacher, Mrs. Elena Johanson who shared slide shows of her trips to Spanish-speaking countries. When the projector came out on Fridays, I knew I was in for a visual trip to some of the most amazing places in South America and Spain.
While I was president of the Spanish Club in south Florida, Mrs. Johanson, who was from Cuba, was the teacher sponsor and she suggested that we visit Little Havana in Miami. The idea that I came up with for raising the money to pay for the gas and the lunch was to sell pen pal addresses. We sold them to the whole student body and made enough for the gas and lunch as well as dessert in one of the bakeries.
I ended up having 38 pen pals from that fundraiser and it made me even more curious about places where my pen pals live like Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia. I would run to the mailbox after school to see what letters might be in there. With 38 penpals from all over the world, rarely did a day go by without a letter from England, Hong Kong, Israel, or South Africa.
Those 38 pen pals in high school were as instrumental and influential as any teacher, coach, or mentor in me finding my passion in becoming a global leader who serves as an ally and advocate. I have long been passionate about the diversity that comes from meeting, working with, and friending people from all over the globe.
As I reflect on the opportunities that I had with learning Spanish at a young age and the doors that opened throughout my education, I am grateful for the experiences that went from the classroom to the meetings in some of the most amazing places like Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona, Mexico City, Lima, and Cochabamba.
I am massively grateful for the unique experiences that have prepared me for this phase of my career and life. I am can pull on more than 50 years of experience in being open-minded and willing to learn about new things with some extraordinary people from around the world and in my city.
How have you opened up to integrating diversity into your life and career?
What risks have you taken to get out of your comfort zone?
How do you support others in their journey to more understanding and acceptance of diversity in the workplace?
With much gratitude…
Editor’s Note: Phil wrote this previous to his unexpected death in May 2022. We publish it as homage to his wisdom and generosity of spirit. RIP, Phil
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