The-Professor-Is-a-Dropout

TheProfessorIsaDropoutPreviewAfterbeingmistakenlylabeled“retarded”andhumiliatedintodroppingoutoffirstgrade,LupeQuintanillaknewshewantednothingmoretodowithformaleducation.Lifeasawifeandmotherwouldsatisfyher-anditdid,untilshesawherownchildrenbeingpushedasideas“slowlearners.”Driventohelpthemsucceed,Lupetookstepsthatdramaticallychangedherlife.WordstoWatchradical(16):extremeplant(29):apersonputsomewheretospyrenowned(36):famousTheProfessorIsaDropoutBethJohnson1GuadalupeQuintanillaisanassistantprofessorattheUniversityofHouston.Sheispresidentofherowncommunicationscompany.Shetrainslawenforcementofficersalloverthecountry.ShewasnominatedtoserveastheU.S.AttorneyGeneral.She’sbeenarepresentativetotheUnitedNations.That’saprettyimpressivestringofaccomplishments.It’sallthemoreimpressivewhenyouconsiderthis:“Lupe”Quintanillaisafirst-gradedropout.Herschoolrecordsstatethatsheisretarded,thatherIQissolowshecan’tlearnmuchofanything.HowdidLupeQuintanilla,“retarded”nonlearner,becomeDr.Quintanilla,respectededucator?HerremarkablejourneybeganinthetownofNogales,Mexico,justbelowtheArizonaborder.That’swhereLupefirstlivedwithhergrandparents.(Herparentshaddivorced.)Thenanunclewhohadjustfinishedmedicalschoolmadehergrandparentsagenerousoffer.Iftheywantedtolivewithhim,hewouldsupportthefamilyashebeganhismedicalpractice.Lupe,hergrandparents,andheruncleallmovedhundredsofmilestoatowninsouthernMexicothatdidn’tevenhavepavedroads,letaloneanyschools.There,Lupegrewuphelpinghergrandfatherrunhislittlepharmacyandhergrandmotherkeephouse.Sheremembersthetimehappily.“Mygrandparentswerewonderful,”shesaid.“Oh,mygrandfatherwasstern,authoritarian,asMexicanculturedemanded,buttheywerealsoverykindtome.”Whenthechoresweredone,hergrandfathertaughtLupetoreadandwriteSpanishanddobasicarithmetic.WhenLupewas12,hergrandfatherbecameblind.ThefamilyleftMexicoandwenttoBrownsville,Texas,withthehopethatdoctorstherecouldrestorehissight.OncetheyarrivedinBrownsville,Lupewasenrolledinschool.AlthoughsheunderstoodnoEnglish,shewasgivenanIQtestinthatlanguage.Notsurprisingly,shedidn’tdoverywell.Lupeevenremembersherscore.“Iscoredasixty-four,whichclassifiedmeasseriouslyretarded,noteventeachable,”shesaid.“Iwasputintofirstgradewithaclassofsix-year-olds.Mydutiesweretotakethelittlekidstothebathroomandtocutoutpictures.”TheclassroomactivitieswereatotalmysterytoLupe—theywereallconductedinEnglish.Andshewashumiliatedbytheotherchildren,whoteasedherforbeing“somucholderandsomuchdumber”thantheywere.Afterfourmonthsinfirstgrade,anincidentoccurredthatLupestilldoesnotfullyunderstand.Asshestoodinthedoorwayoftheclassroomwaitingtoescortalittlegirltothebathroom,amanapproachedher.Heaskedher,inSpanish,howtofindtheprincipal’soffice.Lupewasdelighted.“FinallysomeoneinthisschoolhadspokentomewithwordsIcouldunderstand,inthelanguageofmysoul,thelanguageofmygrandmother,”shesaid.Eagerly,sheansweredhisquestioninSpanish.Instantlyherteacherswoopeddownonher,grabbingherarmandscoldingher.ShepulledLupealongtotheprincipal’soffice.There,theteacherandtheprincipalbothshoutedather,obviouslyveryangry.Lupewasfrightenedandembarrassed,butalsobewildered.Shedidn’tunderstandawordtheyweresaying.“Whyweretheysoangry?Idon’tknow,”saidLupe.“WasitbecauseIspokeSpanishatschool?OrthatIspoketothemanatall?Ireallydon’tknow.AllIknowishowhumiliatedIwas.”Whenshegothomethatday,shecriedmiserably,begginghergrandfathernottomakeherreturntoschool.Finallyheagreed.Fromthattimeon,Lupestayedathome,servingasherblindgrandfather’s“eyes.”ShewasafluentreaderinSpanish,andtheoldermanlovedtohaveherreadnewspapers,poetry,andnovelsaloudtohimforhours.Lupe’sownloveofreadingflourishedduringtheseyears.Hervocabularywasenrichedandherimaginationfiredbythenovelssheread—novelswhichshelearnedlaterwereclassicsofSpanishliterature.ShereadDonQuixote,thefamousstoryofthenoble,impracticalknightwhofoughtagainstwindmills.ShereadthrillingaccountsoftheMexicanrevolution.ShereadLaPrensa,thelocalSpanish-languagepaper,andSelecciones,theSpanish-languageversionofReader’sDigest.Whenshewasjust16,LupemarriedayoungMexican-Americandentaltechnician.Withinfiveyears,shehadgivenbirthtoherthreechildren,Victor,Mario,andMartha.Lupe’sgrand-parentslivedwiththeyoungfamily.Lupewasquitehappywithherlife.“Icooked,sewed,cleaned,andcaredforeverybody,”shesaid.“Ilistenedtomygrandmotherwhenshetoldmewhatmadeagoodwife.InthemorningIwouldactuallyputonmyhusband’sshoesandtiethelaces—anythingtomakehislifeeasier.Livingwithmygrandparentsforsolong,Iwasonegenerationbehindinmyideasofwhatawomancoulddoandbe.”Lupe’scontentmentendedwhenherchildrenstartedschool.Whentheybroughthometheirreportcards,shestruggledtounderstandthem.ShecouldreadenoughEnglishtoknowthatwhattheysaidwasnotgood.Herchildrenhadbeenputintoagroupcalled“YellowBirds.”Itwasagroupforslowlearners.Atnightinbed,Lupecriedandblamedherself.Itwasobviousnotonlywassheretarded,butherchildrenhadtakenafterher.Nowthey,too,wouldneverbeabletolearnlikeotherchildren.Butintime,athoughtbegantobreakthroughLupe’sdespair:Herchildrendidn’tseemlikeslowlearnerstoher.Athome,theylearnedeverythingshetaughtthem