Dallas Independent School District

09/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/24/2024 10:32

Dallas ISD News: A lasting legacy at Dallas ISD

A lasting legacy at Dallas ISD

Editor's note: Spanish story included below

DALLAS -
For Toni Molina, principal at James S. Hogg New Tech Center, a person's legacy is the impact they make on others.

"I always look at our students and tell the staff that every day they come in, they're part of somebody's history," she said. "As educators, we don't see it like that because we're in the thick of it, but that is what we're doing. "We're changing somebody's history every day we show up."

Molina speaks from experience. A graduate of Dallas ISD, she credits her education- and the opportunities that came with it- for changing the trajectory of her family's life.

"The first teacher I can actually recall is my first grade teacher, Ms. Welsh," she said. "She really made me feel safe. Given the background I came from - we were very poor - and I didn't always feel like I belonged. I never felt like that in her classroom."

Molina started school at Gabe P. Allen New Tech Academy (formerly Gabe P. Allen Elementary School) and graduated from Moisés E. Molina High School.

Now, all three of her children are products of Dallas ISD, establishing a different kind of legacy within the school district. Two of her children graduated from Molina, and her youngest daughter is a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

"My parents got their GEDs, but they didn't go to college. The progression, not only for myself but my children, Dallas ISD has been part of that change," she said. "Our legacy is different now. We have a Hispanic man who graduated from college. He's the first from my maternal side of the family to do that."

Growing up, Molina wanted to be an accountant. But she quickly realized her heart was setting her on a new path that would take her back to Dallas ISD to be a teacher, and eventually, a principal.

"I had some office jobs, but they weren't for me," she said. "When I got out of high school, I started working at a private school as a pre-K teacher. I liked the pace of it, and I liked helping people."

After some self-reflection, Molina realized her calling was to become a teacher.

"I started digging deeper into where I came from and some of the odds I had to overcome," she said. "I started thinking about some of the teachers that were really impactful, and it made me think that's what I'm supposed to do."

Molina started her teaching career in private schools before returning to Dallas ISD.

"Everything was great, but I didn't feel like I was serving my type of community," she said.

After finishing the teacher certifications, she started her tenure in the district at Gabe P. Allen. Now the principal at Hogg, Molina finds ways to foster traditions with her students that she hopes will one day become part of the school's legacy.

Drawing from her experience being active in sports, Molina strives to promote Hogg as one big team.

"One thing I always ask is 'what are we' and 'what represents us'," she said.

The answer to those questions lie in the school's mascot and motto.

At Hogg, they are the Razorbacks.

Molina greets students every day, saying "good morning, Razorbacks" and finds other ways to foster meaning behind the Razorback community in Hogg.

"This year, we're really focused on what the characteristics of a razorback are," she said. "If you ask our students, it means we're resilient, we're tenacious. We don't give up."

Spanish story:

Una legado duradero en Dallas ISD

DALLAS - Para Toni Molina, directora de James S. Hogg New Tech Center, el legado de una persona es el impacto que tiene en los demás.

"Hablo con mi personal de que todos los días están formando parte de la historia de los estudiantes", dijo Molina. "Como educadores, no nos damos cuenta en el momento, pero es cierto. Cambiamos la historia de alguien cada día que estamos aquí".

Molina habla de experiencia propia, pues se graduó de Dallas ISD, y su educación, junto con las oportunidades que la acompañaron, es lo que asegura que cambió la trayectoria de la vida de su familia.

"La primera maestra que recuerdo es la de primer grado, la Sra. Welsh", dijo. "Me hizo sentir muy segura. Por venir de donde vengo -éramos muy pobres- no siempre sentí que pertenecía. Nunca me sentí así en su salón".

Molina empezó la escuela en Gabe P. Allen New Tech Academy, antes conocida como Gabe P. Allen Elementary School, y se graduó de Moisés E. Molina High School.

Ahora, sus tres hijos se han graduado de Dallas ISD, lo que ha establecido un legado único en el distrito escolar. Dos de sus hijos se graduaron de Molina, y su hija, la menor, está en noveno grado en Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

"Mis padres sacaron sus GED, pero no fueron a la universidad. Dallas ISD ha sido parte del progreso que he alcanzado con mis hijos", dijo Molina. "Nuestro legado hoy es diferente. Mi hijo hispano se graduó de la universidad. Es el primero del lado materno de mi familia en hacerlo".

De niña, Molina quería ser contadora, pero pronto se dio cuenta de que su corazón la llevaba de vuelta a Dallas ISD para ser maestra y, con el tiempo, directora.

"Tuve algunos trabajos de oficina, pero no iban conmigo", dijo Molina. "Cuando me gradué de la preparatoria, empecé a trabajar en una escuela privada como maestra de prekínder. Me gustó el ritmo, y me gustó ayudar a los demás".

Luego de reflexionar, Molina se percató de que su vocación era ser maestra.

"Empecé a profundizar en mis orígenes y en las probabilidades en mi contra que tuve que superar", dijo. "Empecé a pensar sobre algunos maestros que dejaron huella en mí, y me hizo pensar que eso debía hacer yo".

Molina empezó su carrera como docente en escuelas privadas antes de volver a Dallas ISD.

"Todo era maravilloso, pero no sentía que estaba ayudando a mi comunidad", dijo.

Luego de completar las certificaciones de docente, empezó a trabajar en el distrito en Gabe P. Allen. Ahora como directora de Hogg, Molina encuentra la forma de crear tradiciones con sus estudiantes que espera que algún día se vuelvan parte del legado escolar.

Por su experiencia practicando deportes, Molina busca promover que en Hogg la comunidad sea como un gran equipo.

"Siempre pregunto qué es lo que somos y qué es lo que nos representa", dijo.

La respuesta yace en la mascota de la escuela y su lema.

En Hogg, son los "razorbacks" (cerdos salvajes).

Molina saluda a los escolares todos los días con un "Buenos días, razorbacks" y encuentra otra formas de otorgarle significado a la comunidad Razorback en Hogg.

"Este año estamos muy enfocados en qué son las características de un 'razorback'", dijo. "Si uno les pregunta a los estudiantes, le dirán que significa que somos resilientes, tenaces. Que no nos rendimos".