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Manuel Collazos is 11 years old now, but he can remember the first day he came to Spirit Elementary. He didn’t speak any English. He was overwhelmed and afraid he wouldn’t be able to make any friends. He was crying.
But then someone called Nitza Morales-Torres to the front office. She is a teacher at the school who works specifically with students who are learning English.
She went to class with Manuel, translated what his teacher was saying for him and began teaching him how to start a conversation in English.
“If it wasn’t because of her, I wouldn’t be talking with my friends I wouldn’t even be able to make friends,” said Manuel, who is now in middle school.