My Why - Ariadna Navarro, Special Education Teacher

As a young immigrant from Mexico, Ariadna Navarro was a quiet child. She was in first grade and didn’t understand English when her family moved to the States. It was only when a teacher who took an interest in her and pulled her out of her shyness that she felt like a member of the school community. That’s when she flourished. That’s when she found her passion and interest in helping others by becoming a teacher.

Navarro studied elementary education at Northeastern University and then went on to earn her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a Bilingual specialization at American College of Education. 

She began her career as a first grade teacher at Whitman Elementary School and stayed for approximately 14 years when she was given the opportunity to earn her special education endorsement through Illinois State Board of Education’s (IBSE) grant program. She is now a special education resource teacher at Whitman. “I was thrilled that I was able to stay at Whitman and continue to help the students here. I had other opportunities, but I felt a close bond with the students here. They remind me of myself and I feel like I can make the biggest impact here,” she states.  

In fact, Navarro feels a special purpose to her role. “There is no other job where there is such satisfaction of seeing a child’s face light up when they understand a lesson or complete an assignment. I inspire curiosity, creativity and thinking to lay the foundation for their learning. I encourage students’ confidence and allow them to believe in their potential by highlighting their accomplishments. I smile at them – sometimes the only smile they will receive that day.  I hope I’m making a mark on their hearts and minds,” she adds.