In the inaugural podcast for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – On the Street: A #1LISD Journey – DeWayne Street, the Chief of DEI, invited the recently hired principal for River Ridge Elementary, Dr. Sally Sosa, to speak about her journey and the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
This podcast series will serve as an opportunity to continue the conversation around educational access and to highlight our efforts around increasing cultural competency for Leander ISD staff. Our work is about bringing people into the conversation.
Episode 1 – Hispanic Heritage Month with Dr. Sally Sosa
DeWayne asks Sally to share a little bit about her journey (1:41). Later, DeWayne and Sally have a conversation centered around the following questions:
- Why was education so important? (3:23)
- Why is it important to observe Hispanic Heritage Month? (11:17)
- How has her identity impacted her journey as an educator and a leader? (15:20)
- What advice would she give her teenage self? (21:25)
- Who did she admire growing up? (22:13)
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Below, you will find a transcript of the first episode.
Introduction
DeWayne Street
Welcome to On the Street. I’m your host, Dwayne Street, the Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Leander ISD.
We’re trying something new. You’re listening to the inaugural podcast for the Office of DEI, and we see this as an opportunity to continue the conversation around educational access and to highlight our efforts around increasing cultural competency for all staff. Our work is about bringing people into the conversation and increasing dialectical practice.
As we observe Hispanic Heritage Month, I took the opportunity to invite Dr. Sally Sosa, the newly minted principal of River Ridge Elementary, to speak about her journey and the significance of the month here in Leander ISD and for the entire country.
And in future episodes, you’ll hear more about our efforts to enhance cultural competency. And also we’ll be bringing forward people who are our access points in our system for all of our students.
I hope you enjoy our first episode and this conversation with Dr. Sally Sosa.
Conversation
Street
Dr. Sosa, I just want to have a conversation. I would just like to just tee up a couple of questions and have you go wherever you want to go in answering those questions. Okay?
Sally Sosa
Okay. Sounds good.
About Dr. Sosa and her journey
Street
So the first question is, please tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey to this point.
Sosa
Absolutely. So, as you said, [my name is] Sally Sosa, and I am the new principal at River Ridge Elementary.
Street
Go River Ridge.
Sosa
Yes, the rattlers. Go rattlers. I am so happy to be a rattler. And it has been such a welcoming community already, and it has been such a privilege to serve them in this way.
I have been with the district – I want to say I am going now in my fifth year. So before River Ridge, I was the assistant principal at Block House Creek Elementary, and we like to say, “Once a bear, always a bear.” So even though I’m a rattler now down in my heart, certainly I am a bear. And that was a very meaningful and great experience there with the staff and with the leader, Dr. [Deana] Cady. That was my first go with our district.
I started out as an assistant principal, and there are many in our district who are privileged to be teachers, and then ICs and then APs and principal, and go that route. So I feel really blessed and honored to be part of this already as an AP and then a principal. Before then, I worked in private schools, and I started out my teaching in Houston in HISD.
Street
You did?
Sosa
I sure did.
Street
What did you teach?
Sosa
So I started out as a special education aide, and that was fantastic. And then one fine day, the principal popped her head in and asked if I wanted to teach third grade, math and science. I was like, “Yes, I’ll take anything. Anything you have.” I was ready to go for it.
And so that started off my teaching journey as far as my career. But education was always something that I wanted to be a part of. And right after high school …
Why was education so important?
Street
Why was education so important?
Sosa
You know, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on that. And it’s interesting because you would think that perhaps maybe it was something that my parents were like driving me forward with or just like the value of education in that way.
But it really was kind of a gentle nudge toward it or a behind-the-scenes kind of push toward it because there never was any pressure to pursue academics really in any way. But there was just this drive that I had to keep learning, to keep going, even though at times there was some fear. There was some fear with that.
Street
And tell me about the fear.
Sosa
Yeah. So I think really it stemmed from maybe never having complete confidence in my abilities. There was always a little bit of self-doubt in what I felt I was able to do.
Street
Stephen Brookfield calls that “impostership.”
Sosa
Sure. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Street
Which I experience, too. So I totally understand.
Sosa
Exactly. And I think spot on that that ties to a lot of the sacrifices that my parents made as far as that gentle nudge in education.
I was put in private schools my whole life because they definitely valued the education that that could offer and had the hopes of it changing what I could achieve. And that was their belief behind putting me in private education. But with that certainly came a very stark difference of who I am and who the students that typically attend private schools.
Yeah, we looked different. We sounded different. And …
Street
So there was a disconnect?
Sosas
There was a disconnect.
You quickly were able to feel and learn that there was an expected way for you to behave and an expected way for you to speak and sound and dress.
And the way that you handled yourself and a lot of the ways that may be tied into that cultural or ethnic piece that I grew up with didn’t always match that expectation in the setting that I was in. And I think that that caused a lot of that self-doubt and a lot of that fear of just I understand that I do have to adapt who I am in this moment in order to fit the mold of success in this space.
And that was hard as a child. That was hard as a child. It’s hard now, but kind of looking back and recognizing now that that was something my parents knew and put in place for me. And so and that’s why I said it was that sacrifice of, okay, we understand that this is going to make some changes in her life, changes in how she perceives herself, her identity, her ethnic identity, her culture.
But in the long run, this will help her be successful. And so along with that came, “let’s not teach her Spanish.” Even though my household speaks Spanish. In their mind, they believed they were protecting me from having an accent …
Street
And potential bias because accent bias is real, right?
Sosa
It is.
Street
Yeah. It is unfortunate, but it is a thing.
Sosa
Right.
And I think we’ve come a long way since then. But that was a relevant fear at that time. And so not being able to speak Spanish was also a big part of how I developed my identity with my culture, because that’s a big part. And if you look just at the definition of culture, language is the big one.
And not having that language and still being, trying to tie yourself to that culture was interesting to learn and walk through.
Street
Did you feel like it was in some respects like being on an island culturally? Within your culture you’re on an island because the bridge to the mainland is the language. And and once again, your story is consistent with so many communities.
You don’t want your child to learn anything or be exposed to anything that could make them different and thus make them a target and then they suffer discrimination. So I understand that. But do you feel that you were somewhat on an island?
Sosa
I do. It was something that made me different in both worlds.
Street
Excellent point. Yes.
Sosa
And that made me not completely fit in with my culture and not the way that I looked.
And also and just being different also helped me not fit in completely with the private school setting that I was in. So it was interesting. It was interesting to navigate through, and there were a lot of times where I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. And that showed up strongly in my academics, too, with
if you don’t feel like you belong in a space. And it may not always be because of the interactions that you’re having with your peers, because they were lovely. Or the interaction that you were having with your teachers, although some were. It was just the notion that you are starting off with feeling like you don’t belong anywhere.
And that has a big impact with how you approach an academic setting.
Street
And how you invest. I know there have been times in my academic journey where I was one of only a few students of color in the class, and you do feel like you’re sticking out. You’re being judged. But then I had some really great teachers – and this is where cultural competency is so important – where they saw where I was and they didn’t see me as an African-American so much as they saw me as DeWayne, who happened to be African-American, and because they honored who I was.
But because of the way they approached it, I didn’t feel like I was outside anymore. But there were some teachers who I didn’t experience that with. And to your point, in their classes, I did not invest myself the way that I could have, and it showed up in my academic performance. So cultural competency and student outcomes are really connected.
And I think it’s important for everybody to understand that.
Sosa
Absolutely. There are some times when you – and I wonder, this is like my big wondering: if I wasn’t so focused in on blending in, how much would that have impacted my life, being able to draw from the power of of my culture and my identity if I wasn’t so focused with trying to just blend in and not draw any attention to my differences.
And some teachers naturally bring that out and help you express who you are and realize that those wonderful characteristics that you already have and are built with are something that adds value to the classroom and some are content with the blending in. And you know what? We’re doing our day-to-day, and it’s perfect, and we are moving forward, and that’s also great.
But there are some beautiful teachers who can really, really invest in who you are and what your identity is and bring that to the space.
Street
I think that that’s really beautiful because it’s so true. And I think about my second grade teacher. You talk about that, Mrs. Beafield.
Why is it important to observe Hispanic Heritage month?
Street
So moving on to our next conversation point, I think you kind of talked about it, but I really would like to get your opinion about why it’s important for all of us to observe Hispanic Heritage Month. Why is that so important?
Sosa
Well, I certainly value the highlighting and the celebration of the Latino or Latina culture, but I certainly believe that it can absolutely go deeper than that. And I think right now, and especially with this opportunity and continuing on, I think LISD has a really unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of the history that comes with that, the experiences that come with that, and then also be able to tie that into our educational experience because those are intertwined often.
It’s almost so hard to separate your personal experiences with your educational experiences. So it’s a really unique opportunity that LISD has to go beyond just the highlighting of it and to really offer opportunities for us to share our experiences and how that has moved us in our journey. So I value that, and I think that it’s beautiful work because so many of us within the Latin X community are so different, and we identify in such beautiful and different ways that it’s not only fair just to highlight it, but also let’s discuss those differences within our community and see the strength behind those.
Because I am a Latina, but you notice I say Latina and Latina, because I’m different and I had different experiences, but it doesn’t make me less of a Latina.
Street
I completely agree. And I love the fact that you’re highlighting the diversity within the community, because one of the things that we try to do in Leander, you know, observing these months is important, but how do we really connect it back to the practitioner and student?
I think that’s really important, especially now that our demographics are changing so, so fast. And it’s exciting. And how do we provide our practitioners with the tools to meet that reality, you know, that they see in their classrooms?
I think moments like this are important, but tying it back to the curriculum and finding ways to celebrate and to embed into what we do, because at the end of the day, I want DEI work to not be a standalone. I simply want it to be what we do.
Sosa
Exactly. And even just broadening our understanding of the education system as a whole and how, you know, these standards and these expectations have been set for quite some time.
And really just being intentional with uncovering the ways that these educational standards have shaped who we are along the way, and being open to the idea that sometimes those are really rigid, and students are having to adjust to who they are to meet those expectations. And if we are aware of that and having conversations about it, then we can really start digging into those finer pieces of the curriculum and our pedagogy and our instruction because we can start including just the identification of that process and just recognizing that it has shaped who we are and at what cost.
Street
And I think you know, I read part of your dissertation and I think you do a wonderful job of communicating the unintentional cost of that journey. And I hope to have you back to continue talking about that one.
How has her identity impacted her journey as an educator and a leader? And what has she learned about herself?
Street
But I do have another question: How has your identity impacted your journey as an educator and a leader, and what have you learned about yourself?
Sosa
Yeah, it’s a good question. So going through the process of learning, really just reflecting on my experiences and learning how my culture has shaped my identity, has kind of ties back into it, just has really made me aware of all of the ways in which I’ve adapted and I have changed in order to be successful. And there are parts of that that are so great, and there are parts of that that I wish I still had.
Street
That’s very honest.
Sosa
Yeah. And it was a very grueling process to kind of take a deep look at why do I identify in this way as a Latina? And is that OK? What have I let go of? What have I had to kind of remove from myself in order to be who I am today and what am I lacking?
So just a lot of questions going through that process and uncovering bits and pieces of my family story has been really amazing through this process because there’s a lot of powerful things and powerful women in my life, and recognizing their impact on me as well has been really big on this journey. So there’s yeah, it’s been, it’s been good.
Street
It had to be one of the most reflective journeys that any human can go on when you look back. I think about my journey and some of the things that, to your point, you compromise without knowing. But then as you get deeper into your journey, you look back and say, “was that the right decision?” And I think it’s normal for people to have that.
You also shared the story with me about your grandmother, who would write your grandfather letters using soup cans?
Sosa
Yes.
Street
Please share that.
Sosa
Oh, my word. Yes. Oh, she’s so impressive. So I learned all this when I was going through one of my graduate studies when I was becoming a reading specialist. And I didn’t really know it at the time, which is interesting to me, but as I was going through that process, my mom shared stories about her mother in law and how she was illiterate. And thinking about that, that was already very shocking to me. I was in a privileged space of getting my master’s in reading instruction and becoming a reading specialist when my grandmother was illiterate. And that was huge for me to learn in that stage.
And I had so many questions. And so I was able to sit down with my grandmother and just learn more about it. And I recorded her. It was so lovely. And she told her story.
Street
That had to be powerful.
Sosa
Oh, it was. And she met my grandfather when they were very young. They lived across from each other, but they did not have anything to do with each other at that time.
When he went off to war and when he would come back to visit, he would attempt to make a connection with my grandmother.
Street
I think they would call it courting.
Sosa
Yes, they were courting. And [they] fell in love and got married. But when he went back to the war, there was no way for them to communicate, with her not being able to read and write.
Street
Talk about a barrier.
Sosa
Yes. Right. And so isolation, I mean, just all of the things. But my grandfather could, he could read and write, so he would write her letters. And my great grandmother would read them to my grandmother and then would write letters for her back to her husband.
Street
So it skipped a generation. So your great grandmother was literate, but your grandmother was not?
Sosa
Right! Yes. And that just goes back to the variances in all of our experiences. And she got a little embarrassed with the transaction of her mother in law reading letters from her husband. So she took it upon herself to find any words that she could from soup cans, anything around the house, and she would just copy down these words and send it to her husband.
They made no sense. There was no rhyme or reason to these letters, but to my grandfather, they were everything. It was her attempt to communicate. And that’s how she could do it. And that story amazed me. That is a powerful woman who didn’t have all of the skills that someone would say you would need to be successful.
But to me, that was grit. That was work. And she found a way. And I do believe that when my grandmother came back, he was able to help teach her to read and write. I don’t know how mastered she was in that skill, but it’s a story that she loved to share with us, and I was sad that it took me that long to learn it.
Street
You know, I think the lesson for me when you were sharing that is how important educational access is, you know, because it can transform lives in ways that until you are denied that access, you truly can’t appreciate. And learning about your grandmother, I’m sure it was very illuminating. And it also gave your work a new sense of meaning and purpose.
Sosa
Absolutely.
Street
That’s the power of history. So going back to your point, I love history.
What advice would she give herself?
Street
So the last question I have for you, we actually have two very short ones: The first is what advice would you give yourself as a teenager knowing everything you know now? Being Dr. Sally. Sosa, you know, being a Principal, what advice would you give your teenage self?
Sosa
So many things. There are so many things I would tell my teenage self, but I think the most important would be to do the work of becoming comfortable with who you are, whatever that work is. For me, it took a long time, and the work was in my PhD studies, that’s a long time in the journey. Start young.
Ask the questions. Learn your family’s history, because there’s power and beauty in it, and that can help you as you’re becoming who you are. And I wish I would have done that at that age.
Street
Very well stated. I think a lot of people can identify with that, Dr. Sosa.
Who did she admire growing up?
Street
And the last question is who did you admire growing up and why this person?
Sosa
Growing up, it would certainly be my sister, my older sister.
She is seven years older than me. And I mean, I looked up to her like, of course, like just she was everything. But it was mostly about that confidence that she had, just she felt like she can do anything. And being her sister, I wondered, why don’t I feel like that. Our experiences are very similar.
And I just don’t have that confidence. And I respected that and I was in awe of it. And if anyone questioned that in her, she would show them. And that impressed me so much. And so I certainly always looked up to that. And now, like in the stage that we’re at and when she is just encouraging me or celebrating where I am now, it’s beautiful because that was always how I saw her.
And so it’s just it’s just a beautiful relationship and certainly someone that I will always look up to.
Street
I have an older sister, too. Her name is Barbara. She is – when I was a kid and still is – larger than life. I mean, her confidence, her exuberance. They were things that I wanted to emulate. And I often wonder, “Why didn’t I get all of that?” She was fearless.
Sosa
They took it all.
Street
Yeah, they did.
Sosa
But we got there eventually.
Street
Well, Dr. Sosa, it has been an honor visiting with you today.
Sosa
Thank you.
Street
I could not have chosen a better person to inaugurate our podcast. We will definitely have you back, because I would love to continue to learn about your dissertation, about your work, and I’m so thankful that you’re here in Leander, and I’m honored to be one of your peers.
Sosa
Thank you so much. This has been great.
Street
Thank you, Dr. Sosa.
