Ms. Lopez's Reflection

Dear Families, 

Being the firstborn of two immigrants, I was encouraged to create a life that I was most passionate about because they sacrificed a lot for me to be able to live the’’American Dream.”  As a first-generation Salvadorian, in America, I will be forever grateful for the academic support provided to me by my teachers–the type of support I could not receive at home. Reflecting upon the impact these teachers had on my growth, I quickly became passionate about the roles that teachers had in the lives of their students. Because of this, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher, like the ones that taught me the knowledge and values that I have today.  

As compassionate and supportive as my teachers were, I always felt like they didn’t truly understand the hardships of being a first generation American. They didn’t quite grasp the importance of my language and my culture and the way it was celebrated at home. While I was in my last few semesters in college, observing other teachers at many different schools, I began to realize who I wanted to be. I wanted to be the teacher that I needed while I was growing up. I needed a role model who would not only teach me in the classroom, but also who would understand and support me as I learned how my heritage shaped me as a member of my community. 

Here at Malden Catholic, I am a Spanish teacher, student council co-moderator, and Latino Student Association co-moderator. In these roles, I am fortunate to have many opportunities to be there for students outside of a classroom setting. That, to me, is one of the most beautiful parts about this community. Every single person that is a part of our MC family cares about showing up and being there for each other. Whether it’s showing up to LSA, pizza and prayer, food drives, games, concerts, etc., there is no doubt that the students that we educate have a strong network of classmates and faculty ready to support and represent them inside and outside of the classroom. I am certain that my younger self would be appreciative of the Malden Catholic that we are building today.  

Happy Sunday! 

Shadi Lopez  

Shadi Lopez attended Saint Joseph Preparatory High School as a Catholic Schools Foundation scholar and had the great honor of being a speaker at the 2023 CSF Gala. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and Spanish from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She also attended the University of Granada in Spain.