Beloved Spanish teacher leaves Carrillo with a lasting impact and a dream of retirement

Lina Hoyos Berrios ( Ruby Marie Costa-Thompson/Puma Prensa)

By Ruby Marie Costa-Thompson, Features Editor

With each passing year, teachers come and go from Maria Carrillo High School's community. It's natural for situations to change and people to move into new chapters of their lives, but this never makes the process of retirement any less important, especially when a teacher has left such a lasting impact on their school. This year, Carrillo will be losing not only a dedicated teacher but a caring role model: Lina Hoyos-Berrios.

Hoyos-Berrios’ teachers inspired her to become a teacher herself. “Incredible teachers like the ones [she] had growing up,” made learning exciting and “showed [her] the impact a passionate teacher can have on a student's life.” She wanted to be that person for her own students one day, and throughout her career, she has worked at both public and private schools. Of her eighteen years of teaching, eight have been at Maria Carrillo High School. She exclusively teaches levels 1-3 of academic Spanish and Spanish for Spanish speakers. In class, she aims for a blended teaching method that combines traditional and student-centered learning techniques. Traditional methods like lectures and notes give students a foundation to build on, as Hoyos-Berrios always begins with “clear, direct instructions.” Once students have been introduced to new concepts and are given expectations, Hoyos-Berrios switches to student-centered learning where they can practice and collaborate. This also gives her time to provide one-on-one support for students. Hoyos-Berrios shares how this is especially helpful with shy students, as “they know the information…but they can't show their knowledge in front of everybody.”

Surpassing the average number of years a teacher works in America, Hoyos-Berrios has “seen everything” throughout her eighteen years. She's certain she will miss the “ah-ha moments,” where students realize they understand the material and can advance. She can see it on their faces when they comprehend the content, the same way she can notice when they are struggling. Hoyos-Berrios also values keeping connected with students after graduation and having the opportunity to go to birthdays or weddings. She cares deeply about building relationships with her students and seeing them grow over the course of four years. And then, if she is lucky, continue to keep in touch even after high school. “When I receive my students in ninth grade they are so immature,” she explains, “and then it's not all of a sudden, it takes time, but we'll see that they start to grow more sensitive to others, more cautious, and they begin to express themselves.” This point of view fosters positivity within a classroom and has impacted Carrillo’s community. 

Hoyos-Berrios’ impact on Carrillo is more than just a general statement; it's something that can be seen in every individual student she has taught over the years. With only nine months to make a lasting impression, teachers must gain their students' trust and prove themselves reliable while also providing the best education possible. Luckily, Hoyos-Berrios has had no problem with either. “You can never forget her once you have her as a teacher,” says Esperanza Figueroa, a Sophomore at Carrillo who had Hoyos-Berrios for Spanish 1. Her personality could account for her memorability, which Figueroa refers to as “very caring, motherly, and determined,” though it could also be because of her teaching. While showing her class songs in Spanish, she “liked to sing and dance to the music,” as Figueroa recalled fondly, and her classes were full of a calm, comfortable ease. Figueroa emphasized Hoyos-Berrios’ eagerness to help her students understand the classes’ content and answer any questions to her full capacity.

Despite the fact she is retiring, Hoyos-Berrios does not want to stop seeing growth in her life entirely. “I like to emphasize the importance of lifelong learning…every stage of life offers opportunities and exploration.” Hoyos-Berrios doesn't believe that your life ends once you retire; she believes there will always be “new projects.” After leaving Carrillo, Hoyos-Berrios hopes to travel to Europe and some South African countries. Though she was afraid to travel before, she had the opportunity to go to Europe recently, and the positives of the trip seemed to smooth over her fears. She would love to return to Italy and see Spain and France. Back at home, Hoyos-Berrios hopes to pursue hobbies like gardening and spend more time with her family.

Retirement is one of the significant milestones in life that many approach with trepidation and fear, but Hoyos-Berrios will not allow her retirement to fall into such categories; she knows there is so much more to life that she just hasn't experienced yet. “I am retiring from teaching but not retiring from life.”