As I walked up to the tables in front of the Westridge Commons, I found Ms. Raizel Osorio on a small white chair patiently waiting. At first I questioned if she was an upperclassman, and I almost hesitated to approach her. However, it was Ms. Osorio who turned to me with a kind smile, asking, “You’re Grace, right?”

Ms. Raziel Osorio, self-proclaimed Disney lover and food enthusiast, joined Westridge’s Spanish department this fall as a part-time Upper School Spanish teacher. She has previously worked as a Spanish and English tutor, but this is her first formal teaching job. 

For the first few years of her life, Ms. Osorio grew up in the Canary Islands, Spain. There, she developed a love for dancing. When she was little, she watched her parents dance and slowly learnt from their movements. Now, she often dances with her fiancé. 

Around the age of five, Ms. Osorio moved to the United States. Since then, she and her family try to go back at least once a year to what she refers to as a “home away from home.” “It’s very calm, very cozy, all my mom’s side of the family is there. It was very nostalgic. The food there I can’t find here,” she said.

On the topic of family, in October, Ms. Osorio is getting married, marking a new chapter in her life. Ms. Osorio’s eyes sparkled once she began excitedly talking about her marriage. “I think [my marriage] is the most exciting thing in my life right now.” Not only that, but her relatives from Spain will fly over for the wedding. “Everyone that I’ve been missing from Spain is going to be here… It’s an exciting time for me,” she said.

Spanish isn’t the only language Ms. Osorio is proficient at. When she was in high school, Ms. Osorio began taking Chinese courses at Pasadena Community College for fun as a part of the dual enrollment program, ultimately earning a degree in Chinese. At home, she practices her Mandarin with her fiancé, who also learned the language. And on campus, Ms. Osorio always speaks Mandarin with the Chinese teachers.

Outside of school, Ms. Osorio loves to take the chance to go to Disneyland whenever she can. At home, she enjoys watching Disney movies with her fiancé. Tangled is one of her long-time favorites.

As a self-declared foodie, Ms. Osorio likes exploring interesting new food combinations and going on food adventures. With a laugh, she described one of her food adventures. Once, her friend drove them to a donut shop an hour and a half away to try a bacon maple doughnut. To find such shops, Ms. Osorio scours Yelp or the Food Network channel, looking for exciting new food to try.

However, of all the foods she’s tried, one special dish has her heart. Because Ms. Osorio grew up on an island, seafood was abundant. This was where she developed a love for a popular dish in Spain: tuna pizza. It’s become her comfort food, and she continues to make it at home with canned tuna. “It’s the best thing ever for me,” she said. 

At Westridge, Ms. Osorio has found herself surrounded by a warm and welcoming community. “For my interview, I was super super nervous. But everyone was so nice to me and me feel so welcome, that when I was offered the job, I really wanted to work here,” Ms. Osorio said. 

Ms. Osorio tries to make her classroom environment a comfortable space in an effort to help students who are shyer than others. “In the beginning, it’s a little awkward because I’m a new teacher, and it’s the new school year. But everyone’s really nice. And I’m just trying to get through to those shy ones and make them know that it’s okay to be expressive and to ask questions is the main thing,” she said.

She expressed gratitude for the constant support she gets from her colleagues who motivate and reassure her about her work. “I really like it here. Like I said, everyone’s very nice. So even if I’m nervous in the morning, I go into the Spanish office and they’re all like, ‘you got this!’”