8th grade health and physical education teacher Carlos Navarro was nominated for a teacher spotlight by his Impact Manager Summerlin Northrup. Summerlin shared, “Mr. Navarro built strong relationships with his students from the start of the year. On my first encounters observing his class, I watched him welcome each student with a unique secret handshake.  He is an example of a teacher focused on learning about his students and making sure that the bonds he has with them are strong, and because of this, the Roadmap to Success material was well received in his classes. It was exciting to listen as Mr. Navarro’s students asked him questions that they probably were not comfortable sharing with all of their teachers, and that is when the magic of the program really happens.”

Read on to learn more about Mr. Navorro’s experience with the Roadmap to Success!

Alma Mater: Dallas Baptist University

Area of Study: M.Ed. in Kinesiology

Favorite College Memory:

Hearing family cheer me on as I received my diploma.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

Chose to become a teacher after seeing the need for positive male role models within my community. Teaching provides me with the unique opportunity to be a positive male role model by building strong, positive relationships with students.

Favorite activity/ lesson in the Roadmap to Success program:

Students enjoyed watching the college spotlight videos at the end of each unit. I enjoyed watching student’s faces light up as they realized that one day, they too would be attending college.

One short story highlighting Roadmap to Success in your classroom:

My favorite roadmap to success story was simply watching students engage in conversations about their future goals and dreams. Witnessing student’s joy as they reflect on their life goals, future success, and adulthood, was the ultimate highlight. Roadmap to success helped my students realize that going to college is within their reach.