Arjelis Heredia of Waterbury has been teaching for far longer than the 19 years she’s been an educator, if you count the years she used to pretend to be a teacher when she was a kid.
“If you speak to any family member, they'll let you know, since [kindergarten], I was the teacher,” Heredia said. “That's all I used to play, line up all my dolls and join my cousins and teach and be the principal and the cook and all the school rules.”
That lifelong passion for education has earned her the LifeChanger of the Year award. National Life Group chose her out of 750 nominations from across the country. The financial services company rewards K-12 educators who make a difference in the lives of students through its LifeChanger of the Year program.
Heredia is “being recognized for her success in educating and inspiring at-risk and economically disadvantaged students to achieve greatness in school and at life,” according to Kevin Gould, an award spokesperson.
Ultimately, for Heredia, the key to that success is keeping open communication with students, even after they’ve gone to high school and beyond.
“I like to set the standard of if anything, you can come to me,” Heredia said. “If you're hungry, we'll figure it out. If you need stuff, then let me know and I'll do my best. … I like to try my best to let them know that I'm really here.”
Real-life lessons passed down from Abuela
Heredia is a seventh and eighth grade teacher at Children’s Community School in Waterbury, a non-profit that serves children pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. She has been teaching there for 14 years, starting at the preschool level.
As an educator, Heredia said she likes to ensure her students are prepared for the future by teaching them life skills that she didn’t learn growing up.
“When I left high school, it's like, ‘What? I don't know any of this. What's a job application? What's a resume?’” Heredia said. “I like for [my students] to have those things that I know now that I needed, that I wasn't necessarily taught at school.”
Those life skills include learning how to budget and maintain financial stability. Heredia said she has her students open bank accounts before they graduate. She also teaches them social skills, like how to interview for a job and how to keep eye contact.
Community service and social justice are also priorities for Heredia.
“I feel that this generation is very self absorbed and entitled,” Heredia said, referring to Gen Z. “It's fine to have more than others, but if you're just all about yourself, you're going to be a pretty sucky adult.”
Heredia said she and her students go to local soup kitchens to serve sandwiches and food baskets they make themselves. They also read to the elderly in nursing homes, write to children’s hospitals and make birthday boxes for families in need.
Children’s Community School primarily serves children from families who live at or below the federal poverty level. More than 160 students attend the school; nearly 100 of them qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to principal Katherin Sniffin.
Heredia credits her grandmother for shaping her.
“I grew up with my grandma and Abuela was very social. Everyone knew her because she would feed people out of her kitchen window, and if anyone needed, they knew that they could knock on her door,” Heredia said. “I grew up witnessing that, and it made me who I am now.”
Creating lasting impact
Heredia likes to keep in touch with her students after they’ve gone off to high school. She appreciates it when they reach out.
“One student that left three years ago, she calls me every day and before she gets herself into trouble, she's like, ‘Ms. Arjelis, I need you to talk me off the ledge so I don't do anything stupid,’” Heredia said. “I'm happy to be there for them because sometimes they don't have a trusted adult.”
Receiving the LifeChanger of the Year award came as a surprise for Heredia. The school hosted a ceremony for her on April 3 to share the news. After thinking it was an April Fools’ joke, Heredia said she realized it was proof of how her efforts make an impact.
“I always doubt myself,” she said. “It just gave me the validation to keep going [knowing] I am changing someone out there.”
Heredia and the school received a $10,000 prize as part of the award. Heredia said she would like to see the funds go toward revamping the science lab with new equipment.
In May, Heredia will be going to the Bahamas to deliver an acceptance speech at a LifeChanger of the Year celebration.
