Gustavo Ruiz

Mr. Gustavo Ruiz has been teaching Spanish for 17 years. He took classes in several different universities, and then taught for 6 years at a high school near North Carolina before coming to Hidden Valley. He lived in Columbia happily with his family until people threatened to kill his family. Once he was threatened, he moved to America but one of his sons couldn’t make it. His oldest son ended up moving to Mexico where he lived for ten years before reuniting with his father. Mr. Ruiz spends most his time preparing and teaching his Spanish classes, but also finds time to write a Spanish newspaper for the community.

Mr. Ruiz loves to teach Spanish and enjoys seeing his students succeed. He said, “I love teaching… I love teaching and I am happy every time the students are making progress.” There are challenges that can come up when teaching Spanish. “The most frustrating thing about teaching Spanish is when the students do not want to learn.” He said. Mr. Ruiz finds it difficult to teach students that don’t have the drive to learn Spanish because he puts so much effort into preparing his classes. The Struggles of teaching pay off when he sees that they are learning, “The most rewarding feeling is when I feel that the students are learning, and I am able to communicate with them in Spanish,” he said.

Mr. Ruiz is a dedicated, determined teacher and a kind person. The lessons he teaches to his students help them succeed in life, as he strongly believes that Spanish is the most important second language. Mr. Ruiz’s passion and dedication for teaching makes him a Hidden Hero.