As she opened a piece of mail last fall, Rebeca Carofilis became overwhelmed with excitement.

With her son by her side, she opened the letter and learned she had been named the Veterans of Foreign Wars High School Teacher of the Year by VFW Manassas Post 7589.

Carofilis is in her second year teaching U.S. and Virginia government to ninth graders who have just arrived to the U.S. at Osbourn High School in Manassas. She was once in a similar position, as a Participate Learning Ambassador Teacher from Ecuador.

Her background made the recognition even more special. There, she said, awards such as the one she received don’t exist.

“I can relate when they’re missing home or when everything is new, the language, or the seasons or the new things they’re learning here,” Carofilis said. “We connect together. And I love that part, just feeling part of their journey. It’s also my journey.”

Some of her friends from Ecuador started to apply for the program, and while Carofilis said she planned to do the same, she had doubts about her chances. She also imagined how difficult it may be to start new somewhere else, making new friends and settling in.

“You come here just with all your life in one luggage,” Carofilis said. “That’s how I arrived. And I had everything back home.”

The five-year program allows Northern Virginia school districts to bring teachers from abroad to the U.S.

Manassas City Public Schools is hosting nearly 40 teachers from Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Jamaica and Costa Rica, the division said.

The 12 students enrolled in Carofilis’ class this semester follow a traditional curriculum. It covers elections, the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the roles of the state and federal governments, among other things.

But Carofilis also helps students gain confidence in learning English.

“I work a lot on those skills, having them feel confident with their language and learning,” Carofilis said. “Being here is a privilege, and they have a lot of responsibilities with that privilege. They have to come to school on time. They have to be good citizens. They have to be good students.”

Sometimes, the students often inquire about Carofilis’ dreams and how she ended up in Northern Virginia. They ask about buying cars and living arrangements. They marvel when it snows or ask if she’s eaten at Chick-fil-A.

In the back of her classroom, Carofilis has a map full of pink notes. Students write their names and put the paper over the country they came from. She’s reflects on it regularly.

“There have been some very difficult stories, and there are other successful stories, like a father got a promotion and it’s the job of their dreams,” Carofilis said.

It’s difficult, she said, to watch as students sometimes don’t enjoy school or become homesick.

“Another challenge could be just being away from home. … Just from distance, it’s hard sometimes to be away,” Carofilis said.

Recently, a former student approached Carofilis to share that he’d been accepted to law school. It reminded her of the impact she’s having, the same one that earned her the recognition that highlights a dedication to teaching citizenship, patriotism and American history.

“They want to come to school,” Carofilis said. “They want to be engaged. They want to learn. They want to be challenged. There are good and bad days, but I hope the majority are good days.”

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