My long-term professional goals are simple: I'd like work at a school that is respectful of both my students and me as human beings; that honors my commitment to my family; that compensates appropriately for time and effort; that provides support and opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. After nearly a decade in public health and a rise in intolerance and hate, I thought, "There has to be something I can do to make this world better for my kids." I felt powerless to make large changes, so I searched for a way to help kids grow up with more love and tolerance with the talents I had. In this case, that search led the classroom--and World Language Education. I have been enamored with the Spanish language since my first exposure, and believe strongly that language is a path through which fear can be extinguished and curiosity ignited. Language learning feeds the brain, body, creativity, and spirit! And, for me, offers a way to combat the rise of hatred and oppression in the world at large.