TMCC student Daisy Frye is a mother of four children who works in the administrative office of Whitehead Elementary in Sparks. She is pursuing her dream of becoming a Kindergarten teacher—a dream that’s been in the making for over ten years. This semester, she’s enrolled in two Spanish classes at TMCC, which is enough, she says: Frye doesn’t like to commit herself to something for which she can’t give 100%. Plus, this semester, her education is helping her to deepen her connection to her family and heritage.
“Both my parents speak Spanish, and they both came from Mexico,” she said. “I grew up speaking Spanish, but I didn’t know anything about my culture, or about Spanish literature. This semester, I’m learning Spanish grammar.” Since Frye is a native Spanish speaker, she imagined this part of her education would be easier, but learning Spanish grammar has been challenging... but very worth it.
“Hispanic culture is incredible. I’ve learned so much about how Mexico was really this place where so many peoples and cultures came together. I was surprised and saddened at how much land once belonged to Mexico—and how much was taken away,” she said.
Learning about her past, though, is only a part of the story. The larger focus, for Frye, is on her future.
Dreams Deferred
Frye was the oldest child in a single-parent household who was tasked early in life with taking care of her younger brother. In order to help her family, Frye ironed, cooked, cleaned the house and kept her younger brother out of trouble while her mother worked. Things began to change when Frye entered high school and discovered a love of running.
“I really loved running, and I wanted to be on the cross country and track teams. But, when I told my mom, she looked at me and asked ‘but, who is going to take care of your brother?’ So, I wasn’t able to participate until I found someone—a neighbor—to take care of him,” she said. The extra help enabled Frye to participate in sports, but she was still tasked with cooking, cleaning and taking care of him once she came home from practice.
Frye’s family couldn’t afford for her to go to college, but thanks to a scholarship offered by an apartment complex where she lived, she attended one semester at UNR before she received a call that would change the trajectory of her journey. “My mom needed my help financially, so I left UNR to help my mom. It has taken me a long time to start,” she said.
As Frye worked jobs to help support her mother, she landed a position as a Kindergarten Assistant at Robert Mitchell Elementary School in Sparks. The experience was transformative. “I loved it,” she said. “I watched so many kids come in with no skills and leave with the ability to read. I remember in particular this little girl from Mexico, she was so shy and she didn’t speak English. You could tell she couldn’t understand, and often looked to the other students for clues. Yet, by the time she left she was reading.”
The ability to give a young student the gift of language inspired Frye to want to restart her journey in higher education at TMCC so she could become an Early Elementary Education teacher.
One Step at a Time
These days, Frye is about four semesters away from obtaining her bachelor’s degree and licensure in Early Childhood Education. “Even though I started ten years ago, I took breaks when I had my children, and I can only take six credits each semester. I work full time and I have a family. I have learned that I can ‘give my all’ for six credits and still work and take care of my family.”
The challenge of being a parent and employee is considerable. Frye manages her time and resources so she can give her children the time and attention they need while still moving forward with her goal of getting her degree. “I don’t qualify for financial aid, and so this is all out-of-pocket [expenses] for me. And, I’m basically up late every night studying. I do most of the reading and essays required by my classes on the weekend,” she said.
Frye, though, is inspiring those around her by her dedication to her dream. “There have been many people cheering me on, my friend Megan Conley, who is a local third-grade teacher, has many times kept me from throwing in the towel. The principal at Whitehead Elementary where I work, Mrs. Kelly Dominguez, has also been incredibly supportive. Because I get to the school early, she gives me time to work on my homework a half-hour before the office opens and a half-hour after it closes. She is always giving me suggestions, like ‘this is what you should write about.’ Without her support—and the support of my husband and children—I would have quit by now.”
Frye’s family also gives her time and space to study. When mom goes upstairs, the children know to stay downstairs and to occupy themselves playing. Yet, some of Frye’s lessons are shared: she is teaching her children what she learns in Spanish class, so they can communicate better with their grandparents, and understand their own family heritage.
When asked, Frye’s favorite discovery as a result of taking classes at TMCC is Sor Juana Inės de la Cruz, a Mexican poet and writer who is often cited as one Mexico’s iconic intellectuals who brought women’s writing to the public eye. It’s not unlike Frye’s journey to pursue her education and her dream of managing a Kindergarten classroom where, she says, she’ll be sure to instill a love of language and culture in her young students.
For more information about studying Foreign Languages at TMCC, contact the Humanities Department at 775-674-7945.