Maria Rainbow Rubatino

I became a teacher because I loved school. I realized I wanted to stay there forever in Kindergarten. I didn’t do well most of the time because I had trouble learning to read, focusing and behaving myself, but some of the teachers seemed to understand. Some of them would let me draw and write. They’d let me be myself and help me learn without making me feel like the sad, strange child I felt like everywhere else. I wanted to grow up to help children like me feel ok too.

The Summer before my 3rd year teaching a parent requested a meeting. She had pulled her son halfway through Kindergarten to homeschool him and was worried to bring him back to 1st grade with me. I was worried as well, but put on my brave face. We had a rocky start, but I found out that he liked Harry Potter and I knew enough at the time to fake it. He instantly warmed to me and was my perfect helper the rest of the year. I’m still close with his family. I LOVE that I get to see him flourishing.

Our son is about graduate from Tacoma School of the Arts in June! He’s all set to start college at Pacific Lutheran University in the Fall, and though we’ve saved all we could spare over the years for college it won’t be nearly enough. This would relieve so much of the burden of allowing him to follow his dream of becoming an Anthropologist. He has been volunteering at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, leading tours for children’s field trips and wants nothing more than to spend his life in museums