When it comes time for math in Gloria Galvan's fifth-grade class at Price Elementary, her students get excited.
Probably because Galvan instructs her students to find a partner to play a game. "She pairs us up and we compete against each other. It's fun because you don't sit there and work on a paper sheet but you do it in a fun way," said fifth grader Hiram Aquilar.
For her entire 12-year teaching career, Galvan has been a bilingual teacher at Price Elementary in the South San Independent School District. "I wanted to be a teacher from a young age because I saw the struggle my brothers had in school with a bilingual education. I wanted to make a difference through bi-lingual education," said Galvan.
Like many of her students, Galvan's family struggled financially. Her mother, who didn't finish high school, made sure her children did.
Galvan readily quotes what her mother always told her: "Education provides you with the wings that will help you succeed in life. That always stuck with me through all the rough times and difficult times," said Galvan.
Words she says she now shares with her students. "She says education is so important for us because when we grow up, we could make a big change in the world," said fifth-grader Melanie Rodriguez.
It is what Gloria Galvan has done and she encourages and motivates her students, by her example. "I really want them to realize their full potential and they can be anything they want to be. I want them to know they can achieve all their dreams no matter what challenges they face," said Galvan.