Professional Partner of the Month: January 2008
Maria Salazar Williams
"Maria is a dedicated and compassionate professional. She is able to balance good instructional practices with a calming demeanor and sense of humor. She is invaluable to our (ESL) English as a Second Language students and their families."
- Carrie Camargo, ESL teacher, Gotwals Elementary School, Norristown Area School District
"I truly value Maria Williams and all of the support that she provides to this agency and the children we serve. As a second-year volunteer with our Southeast Region Friend Program at Villanova University, and as a referral source and transportation provider for our Challenge Program, Maria's level of commitment to The Second Mile is endless."
- Crystal Allen, Program Director, The Second Mile
"Maria never complains even when overloaded with work, and does everything asked of her with a smile on her face. She is the type of person who always does more than is expected of her and contributes more than is required."
- Elaine Steinbacher, Coordinator of Region ONE, CCIU's Pa. Migrant Education Program
"Maria is an exceptional young woman. I admire her attention to details. She never makes her problems become her excuses. She always produces and performs for our program. She is solely responsible for keeping the Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program alive in Norristown School District through her recruiting and identifying efforts."
- Nicole Bartels Prum, Supervisor, CCIU's Pa. Migrant Education Program
Maria Salazar Williams serves as an energetic advocate for students and families in the Norristown Area School District, where she is an ESL paraprofessional at Gotwals Elementary School, and through her work in the Migrant Education Program, for which she is a Student Support Specialist/Recruiter. For all her efforts, and the improvements she helps facilitate in the lives of local children and families, we recognize her as The Second Mile's January Professional Partner of the Month.
Mrs. Williams' two positions entail quite a few different responsibilities. Rather than trying to summarize them, we'll let Maria explain:
| | "During the school day I teach English to our ESL students, I do written and oral translations for the teachers, nurse, disciplinarian, counselor, and principal. I call the parents and relate any message from any of the school staff concerning their children. I also translate at parent/teacher conferences - otherwise it would be impossible for the teacher to communicate with the parents about their children's academic progress or discipline problems, etc… I help the parent and the school secretary to register new Latino students in our district."
"For the Migrant Education Program, I work with the Migrant population within the Norristown Area School District from pre-school up to 12th grade. I monitor the students' academic progress by keeping in touch with their teachers. I work with the students after school and give them homework assistance. I refer students to programs like The Second Mile, Student Leadership Programs, Congressional Awards and college visits. We also have a wonderful summer program that we get the students engaged in. I am the person that makes sure our children get to all of those programs and many times I drive them myself in my car during my days off. I do not mind it because I know they need all of those programs and their parents are not able to provide that for them. I also recruit new families for our migrant program. I am always on the phone interviewing new families to see if they qualify. If they do qualify, I go to their house and enroll them. I also offer home visits for those families and students that can't get to me. As you can imagine, I am well known and busy within our Latino Community! I love it!" |
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Without fail, colleague upon colleague comment on her excellent work and dedication. Maria Falco, an ESL coworker at Marshall Street Elementary, and the Migrant Education Program's Lead Summer Teacher, writes that, "Maria is a very hard working person who loves what she does - and she projects that to her students. She does not mind sacrificing her own time with her family to drive Migrant Education students to and from Second Mile Camp." Kelly Brodoski, Secretary at Gotwals Elementary, adds that, "Maria Williams is truly a wonderful, caring human being. She is beautiful inside and out." Joe Leaf, Norristown Area School District's ESL Coordinator, notes that Maria stays in contact with student families, often through her personal cell phone, and that "the families of her students know they can count on her." Joseph Rodriguez, Lead Teacher at Gotwals Elementary, describes a professional who is "tireless, motivated and dedicated," someone who has established herself as an intricate part of the school community, and is additionally willing to go beyond her regular responsibilities to help out the greater community. Gotwals Principal Maryanne Hoskins relays that with 120 ESL students at their school, Maria is constantly in demand, but still does anything asked of her, and does so willingly.
Clearly, Maria Salazar Williams stays busy. But those who know Mrs. Williams don't merely paint a picture of a hard worker; they also describe someone with a great sense of humor, who is a team player and with whom it's a joy to work and collaborate. Elaine Steinbacher notes that Maria has a love of kids, and truly enjoys helping families in the Norristown area seize supplemental educational opportunities. This passion must shine through, since Elaine and other colleagues all note that Maria is seen by many to be one of the most well-liked and valuable employees. Nicole Bartels Prum says it simply: "She is fun to be with!!" Mrs. Williams' enthusiasm, caring, and drive suggest a love of people and of life that is contagious.
In terms of The Second Mile, Maria Williams is the key to getting Migrant Education students in Norristown to all events and programs. She follows through on all paperwork, and then registers the eligible students for The Second Mile's Challenge Program, driving them herself to Green Hills (outside Reading). Likewise, she registers students and generates interest and participation in The Second Mile's Friend Program at Villanova University. She chaperones them to Villanova and never complains about giving up her day off (Sunday) to make the kids happy. She has stated that the Second Mile programs help make these children feel special: "They need to bond with positive role models and to see themselves as having a chance for a positive future as well. They are exposed to different learning experiences that help them grow mentally, socially, and academically." For Maria Williams, making the Second Mile come alive for migrant students and families is not a job…..it is a mission!
What could be the driving force behind all this energy? Maria cites how satisfying and motivating it is to hear students thank her for her efforts. And Maria knows that a "thank you" from a student likely translates into their interest in learning and growing: "Knowing that they want to learn and want to be exposed to so many new and great experiences in their lives is really what makes me want to come to work everyday. Having the parents trust me with their most precious possession (their children) is also a blessing!" Just as Mrs. Williams enthusiastically presents herself day in and day out, she also counts on the smiling faces and encouraging words of her colleagues to keep her going, to make her feel welcome and like she's part of a big family. Not surprisingly, her favorite quotation is the Golden Rule: "Treat others the same way you want to be treated."
When asked what some of her most significant challenges are, Maria describes the frustration she feels in not having enough time to help everyone, especially when there are so many families that need help with transportation, communication, and financial support – oftentimes related to medical issues. These are problems that are somewhat beyond her control, but she still feels frustrated since she realizes all children need these basics in order to be happy and to succeed.
When not helping children and families during the workday, or on her days off, this Venezuela native enjoys spending time with her husband and 16-month-old baby boy. She always looks forward to playing and laughing with her son because she feels she's still a big kid inside, and this keeps her healthy too. She loves working out, especially running, and is very active in her religious pursuits. Maria feels very lucky for the wonderful people in her life, especially her husband and her father, both of whom she thanks for being such wonderful people and whose love, help, and support make it possible for her to help others, especially her students.
Maria Salazar Williams is one of those rare individuals whose interactions with other people usually leaves them smiling, and feeling better off. For all she does to improve the lives of children and families in southeastern Pennsylvania, The Second Mile is proud to salute Maria as its January Professional Partner of the Month!
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