Columbus Teacher Deserves Credit

Columbus High School teacher Liliana Velasco has long participated in the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s International Day competitions hosted by UNL’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. When UNL announced it would not be possible to host International Day this year, Velasco, saddened by the loss of a valuable opportunity for her students, decided to host her own Spanish Day at Columbus High School. I traveled to Columbus to participate in this event. Although many educators at the school participated in and assisted with making this a wonderful experience, they all credited Liliana Velasco with the drive and determination to motivate, organize, and inspire others. I am in awe of Ms. Velasco. Her talent for inspiring students to become passionate for acting, dancing, singing, and performing in another language and her willingness to step up to create a new venue for language celebration are phenomenal.