Norma Arroyo and Ivan Rodon are retiring after over 20 years as Spanish teachers here at Fossil. They have contributed to the success of the Fossil language department and helped thousands of students learn Spanish.

“I think it’s been a gift to have connections with my students. I feel really good to have been working with just young people in general in my career,” Arroyo said.

“What I’m most proud of is just the community, just being part of this community, that I can come to school and be part of the community, and I can relate to the students, because it’s really a good feeling,” Arroyo said.

At first, she didn’t want to be a teacher.

“Well, I was originally going to be a lawyer,” Arroyo said.

And when she did want to be a teacher, she at first didn’t want to be a Spanish teacher.

“I started substituting, and I was pretty much in high demand being bilingual… positions for Spanish were much more abundant than social studies. So I ended up having a position in Spanish,” Arroyo said.

She explains her journey coming to the States, the transition to a new environment.

“I was born in Puerto Rico… I didn’t speak English when I came, so I learned English, immersed in school, I was the only Latino, Hispanic, the only minority, in my entire school,” Arroyo said

And what helped her become successful:

“But I felt like I had a really good education… like Fossil. What the content of the materials that I was able to understand really well allowed me to go to college and be successful,” Arroyo said.

She looks forward to her future in retirement:

“In retirement, traveling a lot. One of my goals since I was young was to travel. We’re probably going to be spearheading a new career in home health care… we will be having our own business,” Arroyo said.

Rodon shares the story how he met Señora Arroyo:

“We met at a school function for language teachers… we were sitting next to each other, he told me, ‘Do you speak Spanish? Because that English that you’re barking, I cannot understand,’” Rodon said.

“I was so happy that she spoke in Spanish. She explained to me what was happening in that meeting,” Rodon said.

He says throughout his time traveling the world that people are good and surpising simular to us, and it doesn’t matter if they look different and the culture is different. He believes it’s important to learn other cultures and languages.

They shares their hopes for the future of Fossil.

“I hope in the future Fossil keeps doing a great language program, we’ ve had many students… Around 100 students every year that get the Seal of Biliteracy, The AP program is one of the best in the state,” Rodon said.

“What I see that makes Fossil different is the passion and drive, I know that will live on even with us gone,” Arroyo said

Junior Matias Miravalle had this to say “I had Mr. Rodon’s Spanish class and he was making the class very exciting. Sad to see them go.”