This is my third year teaching Middle School. Before coming to BL Gray, I taught elementary for nine years. I came to the Rio Grande Valley after graduation with Teach for America. If it wasn’t for their application process, I don’t think I would have reflected on my vision as a teacher. It was through my TFA experience I learned my responsibility to my community. See, I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, but being poor and always without, made me very eager to “get out” and explore the world. Graduating from the University of North Texas was that accomplishment for me. Yet, TFA made me realize the duty I had to all the other Lauralee’s in the valley. This was the deciding factor to move back and partner with IDEA Public Schools. 

I share my story very openly with my students. They need to know that someone like them, with determination, and the help of the community can accomplish their goals. Success is only defined by the desires of our mind. Although some would see a teacher’s salary and say that I am not there yet. I would argue that it is not their right to evaluate my dreams. It’s mine, and I’m right where I want to be. 

I left home when I was seventeen, the summer before my senior year of highschool. Home life was too much to take and being that I supported both my mom and brother, I thought it was easier for me to leave. Sometimes, you have to put yourself first. 

Senior life was so challenging. Back home, I never stopped to think about what life would be after highschool. I was going to school to eat, working to pay bills. It was one pay check to another paycheck with no look to the future. I remember that snow day so vividly, I had three college applications printed out laying on the desk in my room. I was so scared; not that I wouldn’t get accepted. I was actually scared to get accepted. As independent as I was, I knew moving away was a big deal. How would I pay for college? How would I even get there? I had no car, no money, no parents. Utterly alone. But then, it snowed and as the snowflakes collected on my hand I just cried. God was God. Somewhere up in heaven, he opened the vault for the snow to fall down, and I knew he would open the door for me. 

You should have seen all my boys motivating each other and holding each other accountable for reading and testing just to meet our goal. On the last day, the last student came into class saying, “Today is the day, I just need one more book and I finished it on the bus.” We all stood around him as he took the test on our class computer. He scored a hundred but didn’t even smile. He was anxious to refresh his screen to see his total words. 75,000 words! He screamed so loud, I gasped even though I was expecting it. The entire class cheered for him then started cheering for us. We accomplished our goal. 

Permission to allow a cat to come to school wasn’t easy, but it was a lot easier than trying to get Mia in a collared leash; that's for sure! The day she came to school was so much fun. It took a while for her to get comfortable, but she warmed up to all the smells. Some students cried because she was so beautiful. 

Meeting our goals opened up doors for some. All that reading it took to become a word master made some reluctant boys realize they, too, are good readers and kept reading because they found out they enjoyed it! That was truly the best gift.  

I was saved, baptized and off to my first mission trip that summer. We went to stay for two weeks at Mercy International Orphanage in Thailand. An experience I would never forget.

The photo here is of me in Costa Rica, at the Genesis Day Center for children. The boy in this picture is Armando. The biggest smile on the biggest heart. From the second I stepped out of the van, he saw me and yelled “Amiga!” We were inseparable for every day I went. Armando taught how the Joy of the Lord is the only treasure that can make you feel rich. He was the poorest of poor and you would have never known it by his smile.