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2010
Liliana Gomez
San Jose USD
Liliana Gomez was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, where she completed most of her
studies. She received her Bachelors Degree in Education with teaching majors in Spanish and
English as a Foreign Language Instruction in 1996. She then worked for bilingual schools where
she helped design the Spanish curriculum and students’ textbooks based on the Developmental
Thinking Processes Theories. In 2002 in order to pursue her goal of exploring new cultures she came to the United
States and began teaching in the San Jose USD. After six years of teaching in bilingual and mainstreaming classrooms,
Ms. Gomez helped implement the Two-Way Immersion program for the first time at Willow Glen Elementary. She has
become an advocate, a leader, and a strong asset to the Two Way community. Ms. Gomez has used her experience as a
Spanish native speaker and her strong knowledge about teaching a second language to transform the District adopted
curriculum and adapt it to the specific needs of her two learning groups in her class. Teaching in a Two-Way Bilingual
immersion setting is a constant process of creativity and self-reflection on how to deliver an effective instruction
that makes all students feel successful, motivated and engaged in the learning process.Ms. Gomez’ philosophy is
that second language learning must be a very positive experience, the classroom must be an inviting and conducive
learning environment in which all students have the same possibilities of becoming successful--both academically and
socially. It must be a place that not only allows students to learn concepts but to value and appreciate other cultures.
2009
Nancy Olguín
Palmdale SD
Nancy Olguin was born and raised in Peru. Upon finishing her Bachelors Degree in Economics,
she came to the United States and attended a language school for two years in
order to learn English. She pursued her teaching credential at California State University, Northridge where
she received a Bilingual Multiple Subject Credential (BCLAD) in 1998. Ms. Olguin began teaching in the Palmdale
Unified School District at Yucca Elementary School. After two years, she joined the Two-Way Immersion
program at Los Amigos as a bilingual kindergarten teacher where she is currently employed.
The vision of Los Amigos School is to develop bilingual citizens who are well prepared to succeed in a global
economy. Bilingual citizens have the ability to function effectively in multiple languages and cultures, and are
empowered to achieve the highest academic, social, and linguistic skills. Offering all content in two languages
is the most effective means by which our students can glean such abilities.
Ms. Olguin strongly believes in the benefits of bilingual education and the necessity for all students to know
more than one language as the school motto says,
Two languages are better than one!
ˇDos Idiomas son mejor que una!
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