OSZ: Influencer of the Week: Guillermina Walker, Tildenville Elementary School

Guillermina Walker is the dual-language teacher for first-graders at Tildenville Elementary School. Families must apply to participate in this Orange County Public Schools magnet program.

She has been a teacher at Tildenville for four years.

Walker also has the distinction of being named this year’s Teacher of the Year at the elementary school, located on Brick Road in Winter Garden.

What do you love most about your school?

What I love the most is the dual-language program that has supported my daughter, Isabel, to love, embrace and feel proud of her Hispanic heritage and language.

What's your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of the job is to develop relationships with my students.

Why does this job appeal to you?

This job appeals to me because I feel that I have an opportunity to influence our community one child at a time.

What motivates you and pushes you to do your best?

What motivates and pushes me to my best is my faith in a loving and merciful God, my family, colleagues and students.

What's the nicest thing a student or faculty member has done for you?

There are too many nice things that students, students’ parents, and faculty members have done for me — but the nicest thing is when a group of students that I had in first grade stop by to say hi and give me a huge hug.

What’s your favorite restaurant and favorite meal? 

My favorite restaurant is Cheesecake Factory, and my favorite meal is my mother’s homemade enchiladas.

Do you have any pets?

We have two Siberian cats, Echo and Tango.

What’s your favorite movie and why? 

One of my favorite movies is “Hidden Figures” because it illustrates the accomplishment of a society that was wasting the potential of a group of people because they could not see past their gender and the color of their skin. I also like it because it inspires women to see themselves in the math, science and engineering fields.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

If I could have a superpower it would be to be able to reverse the damage that we, as society, have done to our planet. But wait, I am a teacher, I have that superpower through each child that becomes more aware and conscientious in the responsibility of taking care of the amazing world that was created for us.

What’s your favorite vacation spot and why?  

Any mountain is a perfect spot to vacation because it gives me the opportunity to reconnect with my family, my creator and His gorgeous creation.

Tell us about your family: 

My immediate family consists of my husband, Robert; son, Josh; daughter, Isabel; niece, Aurelia; and cats, Echo and Tango. We, as many families, work on supporting each other in becoming the best version of the human being we were created to be.