Golden Apple Winner – Valley Teacher Gives Life Lessons
INDIO – So many teachers work hard and dedicate themselves to their students here in the desert. Every month KESQ honors a teacher with the “Golden Apple” award. February’s winner is Fernando Heredia from Dwight Eisenhower Elementary School in Indio.
He uses faith, knowledge and his own experiences to guide his students.
“I plant a seed and hope it grows into a great tree,” says Fernando Heredia, fifth grader teacher at Dwight Eisenhower Elementary School.
Heredia came to the United States from Ecuador when he was a child. Many of his students are also from immigrant families. Mr. Heredia didn’t let language or cultural barriers stop him, and he won’t let them stop his students.
“I share with them that I made the transition and I give the country the best of me because it gave me the best,” says Heredia.
“He encourages us to reach our levels and our goals,” says Manuel Garcia, one of Heredia’s students.
Heredia always knew he wanted to help people.At first, he was going to become a doctor, but while attending “College of the Desert” he changed his goal from medicine to education. He attributes his career shift to one of his great teachers.
“He could do anything in the world because he was very smart and has so many different degrees, but he chose to share his knowledge with us, the students,” says Heredia.
Mr. Heredia is doing the same, and his students love him.
“He always gives encouragement,” says Vanessa Garcia, one of Heredia’s students.
Heredia is also popular in the community, he’s a Deacon at Sacred Heart Church.
“It combines great because it’s about caring and passion for the kids,” says Heredia.
He says his roles as Deacon and as teacher go hand-in-hand; he gets the chance to teach school lessons and life lessons.
“Every day he reads a rule like, keep your hands to your self or speak polite,” says Vanessa.
“Respect your neighbor, love you neighbor, treat others nice, that’s what we do,” says Heredia.
If you’d like to nominate a teacher, go to our homepage, click on the “Golden Apple Award” link and fill out the form.
