Due to her husband’s job in the FBI, Spanish teacher Susan Garcia has lived in eight different states over the past 25 years including Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Alabama, and now Maryland.

Not only has she traveled all around the United States, but around the world as well. Garcia was born in Augsburg, Germany because her father was in the military and her family constantly travelled.

In 1974, during a family trip to Spain when she was 13, Garcia first discovered her love for the Spanish culture. “I fell in love with the people, food and culture of Spain and when I began school the following year I started taking Spanish classes,” Garcia said.

Garcia loves being in front of people and teaching students. “I have been teaching for 32 years and have loved every minute of it,” she said. She spent 17 years teaching in the public school system and has spent the rest teaching in private schools.

One of the major differences between JC and the other schools she has taught at is that JC is the first school where the students have laptops.

Garcia does not know how she completely feels about the students having computers. She worries that they could pose a distraction, but she loves “that the students have a dictionary at their fingertips,” Garcia said.

When she is not spending time teaching or travelling, she enjoys reading, swimming, and watching the television show “The Young and the Restless.”

Garcia’s aunt is the one who got her into “The Young and the Restless”. Garcia likes the show because “she has been watching it for over 30 years.” Even though she teaches during the day, she programs her DVR to record it so she can watch it when she finds the time.

Garcia is currently teaching Spanish three, Honors Spanish three, and AP Spanish.  She has also restarted Spanish club. Garcia’s plan is to teach at JC for at least five years before either retiring, or teaching part time. Garcia has always had a love for travelling, but she is ready to settle down.

Shannon Olsen is a Lifesyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.