"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -Dr. Seuss

Hi Westgate Families, 

My name is Alicia Foley-Diaz. I am one of your 1-2 teachers with Westgate Community School… and loving every moment.

I come to the teaching arena from a variety of different perspectives that I have gained during my previous employment. I have been lucky enough to gain first-hand experience from the ups and downs of social work; various uses of persuasion within marketing;  national requirements for higher education admissions; the individual details encompassing higher education instruction; the demand for intrinsic care while being a certified nursing assistant; as well as the immense joys of being a mom. My career has been a journey full of twists and turns, never stopping, and always having a direction of self-power.

I think my career journey has taken me on a path that is led by my personal values. I spent the majority of my childhood with my grandma, Beesie, who always told me that the most important value in life is knowledge. Beesie was born in 1900 when world news was limited, women were not allowed to vote, and education did not always continue after 6th grade. As a woman who grew through the first stories of Gandi, WWI (and WWII), as well as Susan B. Anthony, Beesie was proud to be the first girl in her family to travel the world, vote, earn a college education, and hold a career. She lived in a time of change and excitement. An excitement that she made sure to instill in me. Thanks to Beesie, I have always strived to follow the pillars of morality, understand our community, nation, and the globe as one, while working with the ideals of education.

I have had the blessing to teach in higher education as well as short and long-term substitute positions in elementary and middle school. Education is a world full of wonder. Knowledge is to understand the unknown and apply this awareness to our lives. It is a truly enriching experience to guide a person through an educational challenge and see new personal growth for the first time. I have a file folder full of notes and memories from students having these experiences. One in particular, the one that I can feel just with a thought, was from a student in the Kakuma refugee camp. Here was a man who had gone through an unfathomable loss, shoved in unimaginable living conditions, and placed in a distant online learning class with a female educator. Building the classroom community was a challenge, to say the least. Once having good communication, we were able to build a bond, address the curriculum, and learn about each other. It was amazing to be a small fraction of his rebuilding process. This is an honor that I hope to achieve from working with all of my students.

While at home with my family I am completely spontaneous. My family is never tired and always wants a different quest. My husband is the epitome of a Bear Grills fan and has rubbed his curious interests off on our girls. At every opportunity, we camp, travel, and aim to explore every part of our beautiful world. At each and every stop all three of them have to pull out their Swiss army knives to whittle on some exotic scrap of wood they have found while I look at the birds. Our backyard is full of walking sticks and little things I can no longer identify. As for me, I just smile, go with the flow, and place interesting holders for birdhouses around our yard. I am sure there is no wonder why I wake up each day with a smile and look forward to where the next adventure will take me.