It was a Texas-sized day as two Austin-area educators were stunned by their Milken Educator Awards--  freshman principal Adelaida Olivares at Del Valle High and high school social studies teacher Maricruz Aguayo-Tabor at Liberal Arts and Science Academy.  Both model real-life success for their students.

Adelaida told me how she grew up as the youngest of six children born to migrant farmworker parents.  For 10 years, Adelaida worked the fields in summer and went to school in winter.  Yet imagine!  All six siblings went to college; five earned master's degrees; and five entered the education field.  I'd call that a successful track record for parents in any walk of life.

Maricruz grew up in the impoverished Rio Grande Valley with her father, a Mexican immigrant, and her mother, a teacher.  While most parents in the region considered high school the pinnacle of achievement for their kids, this was not the message given to Maricruz.  Not only did she attend Brandeis University, she followed that up with a master's in history from Harvard. 

I had the pleasure of listening to both recipients do phone interviews with national and international Spanish-language media.  Wishing I'd studied Spanish along with French, the two helped me out by translating.  Particularly eye-opening was the discussion of Advanced Placement testing challenges for students who are working diligently to succeed and go on to college.  Individual test taking costs $55 for each AP test not counting buying for the AP review books.  What was a minor right of passage for my three sons back in high school, with Mom casually writing the checks, presents a real obstacle for those teens not so lucky about finances through no fault of their own. 

Bonnie Somers

Vice President

Communications

Milken Family Foundation