Kimberly Marion, commonly known as “Señora Marion” around campus, has been working at MHS as a Spanish teacher for over two decades, Marion said. This is a fraction of her total 43-year career, she added.
Marion grew up in Columbus, Ohio with her family, she said. Some of her favorite childhood memories consisted of hiking, camping, observing the insects, woods, and animals, and visiting different museums in the summer with her family, she added.
In college, Marion originally intended to become a musician, but eventually decided that she wanted to learn Spanish and study abroad, she said.
“When I changed my major, I got to study a year in Mexico, in Xalapa, Veracruz,” Marion said. “And then in my senior year, I had to study a year in Spain, and the courses were very intense because it was like fitting four years into two years, but it was very enjoyable.”
Her experiences studying abroad changed her perspective, Marion said. In the United States, she experienced racism and judgment for the color of her skin, she added.
“When I studied overseas, I was accepted for who I was, and I got to learn the culture of the people of Mexico and Spain,” Marion said. “I came away realizing that people everywhere have the same needs. They have the same desires. They have the same wants no matter what color their skin, no matter what nationality.”
Marion felt her experiences studying abroad also made her appreciate more of the world around her, she said. In part, she credits her excursions in different countries such as Ecuador, Nigeria, and the Philippines for broadening her horizons, Marion said.
“When I lived in Nigeria, one of the schools where I taught had a dirt floor,” Marion said. “There was no electricity, no running water and I had a student who walked 10 miles to school every single day.”
The students in the village that Marion taught had such a passion for learning, Marion said. They were very thankful for whatever they received, and Marion felt that this thankfulness is sometimes absent from the Western world, she added.
“Especially here in America, where students have everything, they sometimes don’t appreciate the simple things,” Marion said. “Some of the time, I don’t feel they appreciate the privilege that they have to get an education, so these are things that I share with them — those memories, (were) very beautiful.”
During her long career, Marion said that she has had her share of challenges. In her very first year teaching, she once ran out of her classroom in tears, Marion said.
“There was no mentor program or anything so I felt like I was just kind of thrown in the ocean,” Marion said. “That year I was thinking of quitting, but something just told me to hold on … and I’m glad I did.”
Despite this challenging time in her career, Marion does not have any regrets, she said. By continuing her teaching career, Marion learned the value of perseverance that helped to help her grow as an educator, she added.
“It’s a real blessing to be able to teach and work with young people,” Marion said. “I feel that I’m more than just a Spanish teacher because we’re helping to mold young minds and we have to, first of all, be a good role model. Second of all, we have to really care for people.”
Spanish teacher Monica Rivero said that Marion truly cares for her students.
“She’s probably one of the most supportive people here on campus that I have ever met – to students, to teachers, to admins, to any staff member here on campus,” Rivero said. “You’ll always see her with a smile. You’ll always see her with the most positive attitude.”
A former student of Marion’s Spanish class, senior Amee Desai, also admires Marion’s positive and supportive attitude, she said.
“I admire her zeal for life,” Desai said in an email interview. “She has energy like no other, and it’s really refreshing when you’re a student stuck in the tedium of day-to-day busy work.”