Whether it feels like it or not, the ’23-24 school year is nearing its end. As we reflect, let’s not forget the new faces we met this year and how they’ve already made their mark on Heritage. The HHS community grew remarkably with the addition of one teacher in particular: Señora Gutiérrez-Carreras. An endless passion for education and a lifetime of hard work led Carreras to Heritage all the way from Madrid, Spain, and she has fit in perfectly.
Carreras’ love for teaching began early in her life, and from the beginning, she dedicated her studies to education and devoted herself to her students. “I was working for a publishing company in Spain that produced education related content, so I started writing Spanish dictionaries for schools to use, and eventually I worked on producing Language Arts textbooks in Spanish. After that, I worked in children’s literature and subbed for my professor a bit in college. Out of everything I did, I loved working with young students the most, so I focused on that.”
Her love for education took her as far as a PhD ABD (all but dissertation) in Spanish Language and Literature. “I did all of the coursework and started writing the dissertation, but I didn’t finish it because my kids were very young and my husband was working many hours, so I needed to choose between my family or my PhD. Even though I decided not to finish, I loved the process because I love research and all that.”
Living in Spain is vastly different from living in America, but the transition for Carreras was made easier by the fact they had been visiting her husband’s family in Colorado for 6-7 years before deciding to move to the states. She remembers visiting a small town with her husband in southwestern Colorado and being excited by the little, yet overlooked, luxury of paved roads. Despite her familiarity coming into America, she says culture shock still occasionally happens.
Carreras is the parent of a Heritage Class of 2023 graduate, which provided her with special insight on the school before ever stepping foot into her own classroom. “As a parent, we had such a great experience, so teaching here felt like coming home. It’s very familiar and the kids are amazing, which makes it really special to be a part of this culture, this time as more than just a parent.”
Her efforts as a dedicated teacher who greatly values her students bring her copious amounts of gratification.
“Many things about this job are very gratifying, but if I had to choose the one that keeps me going, it’s the students. Watching things click for them that they didn’t previously understand is thrilling, and they just keep growing from there. The student-teacher relationship is so meaningful, and it’s great to see students come back later to ask for a letter of recommendation or just to tell me about where they’re headed in life,” says Carreras. Carreras’ work extends far beyond the walls of her classroom and into the entire LPS district, working as an interpreter and translator for district-wide speaking conferences. She hopes to create many more special connections with students and carry them to success not only as students, but as humans too. Heritage wishes her a warm welcome and thanks her for the contributions she’s already made in her first year.