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“No matter how many obstacles you come across, if you push yourself and persevere, you can accomplish almost anything!” This is the message Colorado Rapids player, Diego Rubio, conveyed to Pine Lane Elementary students during his visit for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Diego Rubio is originally from Santiago, Chile, where his love of soccer began. It wasn’t always easy though, he explained. His first big career move took him away from both his family and his home country when he was signed to play for the Portuguese national team. He faced challenging times and obstacles, but he always persevered, even when he felt like giving up. Diego's testimony inspired the students to work hard and achieve their goals. After the speaking engagement, Diego offered up a look at his skills by performing soccer tricks for the students outside. He even played with some of the kids and gave them his autograph.
Pine Lane English Language Development teacher Maria Ray organized the event to commemorate the contributions of Latin/Hispanic Americans to our society. “I felt like inviting a professional Latino soccer player would resonate with our students since so many of them love the sport!” Ms. Ray, who was born and raised in Ecuador, takes a lot of pride in celebrating Hispanic culture because it expands students’ knowledge of other cultures and their contributions to areas such as sports, art, literature, music, cuisine, and more. “I have a lot of students and parents who are also Latinos and who only speak Spanish. I love this celebration because it gives me the opportunity to recognize the heritage of my Latino students and their families. It is an opportunity for me to make them feel proud of their amazing heritage, beautiful language, and rich culture.”
Thank you to Diego Rubio, Maria Ray, and the rest of the Pine Lane team for hosting this event!
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