I was born in Monterrey, Mexico and came to the U.S. when I was in Elementary school. My first word in English was "ball" and I remember feeling the weight of the world over my shoulders and thinking, "how am I going to be able to learn a million more words!". Many years have passed since that day and I am proud to say I am fully bilingual. I thank my parents for always encouraging me to be proud of my culture and beautiful language. Now, it's my turn to encourage other professionals to build pride in their students and promote biliteracy!