A Cross-Cultural Journey through Language, Identity, and Education I was born and raised in Costa Rica, in a rural area where nature, community, and language were tightly woven into daily life. My cultural identity was shaped among banana and pineapple plantations, daily family gatherings for coffee, and everyday conversations in Spanish. From a young age, I learned that language is more than communication, it's belonging. Years later, when I immigrated to the United States as a teacher, I began a new chapter in my identity: navigating life as an English learner and teacher, and becoming a guide for students crossing their own cultural and linguistic borders. This experience taught me empathy and resilience. Like many of my students today, I arrived with hopes and dreams but felt invisible in a system that didn’t fully see me. There were no mentors or cultural maps. I learned by making mistakes and learning from them. That’s why my classroom today isn’t just a place for learning ...