‘This is what I love to do’
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 9 months AGO
Royal High School Jesus Santiago wants to help students overcome obstacles.
Royal School District/courtesy photo
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | November 17, 2022 6:29 PM
Middle school is a tough time for most kids. Some thrive in those years, some just survive, but they all change one way or another. Jesus Santiago came out of it knowing what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
“When I was in junior high, I was having a difficult time. I was having bad influences in my life. And then there was a teacher who guided me to do better, to be better, and to overcome those obstacles to academic goals.”
The school was Quincy Middle School and the teacher’s name was Mr. Martinez, Santiago said. Today, Santiago is an educator himself, teaching Spanish and English Language Development at Royal High School.
The route to the classroom wasn’t an easy one, though. After graduating high school he went to Big Bend Community College, then on to Heritage University, where he got his bachelor’s in elementary education. But then he ran into a snag.
“After I got my bachelor’s degree, because I didn't have papers back then, I couldn't work for the school,” he said.
Santiago had come to the United States from Mexico at the age of 13 without proper documentation, which meant he couldn’t legally work in the country. Fortunately, he was one of about 800,000 young people nationwide who qualified for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, aimed at protecting undocumented children who were brought into the country by their parents. With that protection, Santiago was able to get his status legalized and go to work at a school.
“I wanted to start from the bottom because I’d never worked at a school district in my entire life,” he said. “So I went to do a para job first, and then I went into subbing.”
Santiago is currently in his first year as a full-fledged teacher.
“I’m very, very thankful for the opportunity,” he said. “It’s been great. I love it. This is what I love to do. I wake up every day wanting to be here in the classroom with the kids.”
Santiago looks forward to being able to give other students the same opportunities and encouragement he got from Mr. Martinez.
“I can influence our students to do better when they see me there, a Hispanic teacher,” he said. “And that's what I want to transmit to them: that they can achieve their goals, their dreams, even though they’re hard. Regardless of my background, or my status, regardless of financial obstacles, I achieved my academic goals.”
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.