15 years ago, Gabriela Martin began a 2,750-mile journey that would bring her to Lake Zurich. 45 days into the year, the new World Language Department Head says her life journey just keeps on getting better.

“When I moved to America, I didn’t speak any English,” Martin said. “I had taken it as a class in high school but it was not enough to communicate with. My mom, sisters, brother, and I rented an empty apartment that only had unopened boxes. We didn’t have any furniture and it was definitely difficult. When winter came, it was my first time experiencing the season and we didn’t have a car. I worked at Portillo’s in Naperville, so I had to walk an hour to get to work and back. Even though I knew it was challenging, I knew that if I kept working, the situation would get better.”

Martin, who was raised in a small town in Venezuela and moved to Illinois when she was 22, relocated to Lake Zurich High School this year after spending 12 years at Prairie Ridge High School.

“When I moved here [from Venezuela], I was studying modern languages and I wasn’t studying to become a teacher,” Martin said. “However, I met a professor at Northern Illinois who invited me to explore [that career path] and I loved it. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in the classroom working with high school students.

Even though she switched majors soon after she arrived in the United States, Martin encourages students who are interested in studying a language to continue their studies.

“If you’re pursuing a career in language, go for it,” Martin said. “Even though it’s not always easy, it’s amazing.  Traveling abroad and living in another country, that’s the best way to do it.  I think it’s something everyone should do because it changes the way you think, and I feel like it’s looking at life through a different lens. To become fully bilingual, staying in another country is the best route for language acquisition and meeting new people. But in general, if you can live in another culture and learn from other people, it’s a great experience.”

Similar to living abroad, Martin had to grow accustomed to a new environment before the school year began, as this year marked her first at Lake Zurich. However, the welcoming atmosphere of the high school students and faculty have made the transition as smooth as it could be, Martin says.

“Everything is new to me here at LZ,” Martin said. “For example, the technology that we use here is very different from my old school. I’ve been getting out of my comfort zone and making sure I’m doing the right thing, workwise. It hasn’t been too challenging, but it has been overwhelming regarding a number of things I’ve been learning.  However, everyone has been very welcoming so far. I just want to thank the teachers and department chairs I have worked with and have acted as mentors to me since I started here.”

Acting as a mentor for the other language teachers in the school is actually a role Martin has undertaken since moving to LZHS, Carlye Hamilton, Spanish Teacher, says. Hamilton commends Martin for stepping up and becoming a positive influence for the department in such a short amount of time.

“I see [Martin] as a natural leader because she is able to identify with what [Spanish teachers] do,” Hamilton said. “When she observes our classes, it’s not to make us feel uncomfortable, but to provide us with constructive feedback. You know when she walks into a classroom, she’s there to help. She has high expectations for the Spanish department, but you can see that she wants us to succeed. The teachers are really striving to meet these expectations because we look up to her.”

Martin’s hands-on involvement with the Spanish classes this year has translated to success in the Spanish department as a whole, Hamilton says, which had been lacking during previous years.

“For me professionally, I view her as a role model,” Hamilton said. “She motivates me and the other teachers to do better in the classroom. For the first time in a long time, I would say our department is thriving because there is a camaraderie that [us teachers are able to share], that I don’t know has always been there. This year has been a really nice start for our department. We are very energized and looking forward to what the year brings.”