Beatriz Reyes

Study as much as you can because this is the age when you guys have the open minds to learn a lot. If someone has to take me…if I go speaking to my mom like that, I would be speaking six language by now.

Beatriz Reyes

Buenos tardes. I’m so happy to see all of you here. You guys have been growing so much.

My name is Benetrice Reyes. I was born Andres San Malici, Venezuela. It’s a beautiful city with 90 degrees all year long. I went to college there where I got my degree in material science. And I met my husband, now 33 years, Orlando Reyes.

I came to US in 1985 for the first time when my husband was attending the college Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. During that time, I went to the school to learn English
I got a GED, the diploma to complete my high school besides when I went down there, I was already graduated from college, but I didn’t know any English at all. So I went to this school just to get it.
We went back to Venezuela after four years. I have two childrens over there. Orlando Antonio, he’s 22 right now. He’s senior. He’s going to be graduating this fall at Michigan Technological University, in the UP. He’s gonna do it. He’s gonna be graduating electrical engineering and computer engineering.
Andre Ricardo, he’s 18, he’ll be 18 March 14th, next week! He’s a senior at Eden Prairie High School. He probably…he’s gonna do the same as his brother. He’s gonna study electrical and computing engineering. He’s gonna do it in Michigan Tech where Orlando is right now or the University of Illinois. He hasn’t decided yet.
In 1996, we moved back to United States for good. We have been here since that time. We became US citizens. We have been living here in United States, but we love both countries. Venezuela because it’s the place where I was born and here because we live here for good. My two sons are more American than Venezuelans because they have been living here for too many years. Orlando was six years old when he came here and Ricardo was two years and a half.
We have…I have so…too many marvelous time, but the most…the ones that hit me so deeply was when I have my two children, when I became mother, when I get married, and when we get citizen. It was a huge step for us to do that.
We have so many traditions in our family, but I think there’s one that we don’t change for anything is the food. Our traditional food for Christmas time that we make a dish, we call it 4:08 Ayaccas. We only make those for Christmas because it’s too much work—two days work! It’s kind of similar to the tamales, the Mexican tamales, but we put more stuff inside.

My whole family is in Venezuela and I have only two nieces here. They are living now in Miami. But living here in US, we have found so many friends that they are part of my family now. It’s basically you guys. I think you guys are part of my family because I have been watching you since you guys were in kinder…so.
I start to work in Eden Prairie school kind of ten years ago. I was working as a kitchen lady. And then in 2006, when they…your friends they are right now in 6th grade, they passed to 1st grade, I started to work in Eagle High.
Lemme tell you guys something. For me, Eagle High is my home. I feel like that. When I get there for the first time, oh, I fit in there and I don’t regret. I feel so happy watching you guys grow in your language and your voice. And I really like that.
When every day I get out from my house, I always say, G-d, please show us a good day. When you guys are on the playground and I say We don’t want accidents. That’s why all the time I say, Eiy! Eiy!
For me it’s so hard to avoid you guys having any accidents over there. For me it’s so important that you guys have a good meal over there. Don’t fight. Be happy during the day because you guys came to this school, not only to study, to have fun. Every single day you learn something new. That’s why I love Eagle High.
But I don’t like too much when I gotta go outside. Thirty degrees below, but I take care of you guys. I really love you guys. Thank you for so much for inviting me here today. I really appreciate that.