Irene Esper

Position: Second Grade TeacherSchool: Spreckels Elementary SchoolSchool District: San Diego Unified School DistrictCity, State: San Diego, California
About the Nominee: Irene Esper is a strong and loving teacher. She is so strong that while she battled cancer, she kept her students involved and used her ailment to teach her students tolerance, love, understanding and all other "curriculua." Ms. Esper always gives it her all. She tutors after school, brings students together for weekend events and simply gives more than she receives.Each year, her number one goal is for her 32 students to come together and understand that we are all alike, and that it's our differences that make us special. She is originally from Uruguay, and she knows first hand what it feels like to not be readily accepted. Because of her experiences, she has learned tolerance and how to understand differences, which she teaches her students to prepare them for experiencing intolerance in life. She makes her students feel special and cared for. Her nominator, who wishes to remain anonymous, believes that the work Ms. Esper does each year is astonishing and her genuine interest in students' development makes her a LifeChanger.[nominee_videos nominee_email="iesper@sandi.net"]