Juan Alvarado joins the close-knit community that’s already becoming a national model

Juan Alvarado’s non-negotiable career goal included making an impact. He began exploring options in high school and was inspired by his parents’ story. His family immigrated from Mexico, and his mom did not have an opportunity to complete school.

“My mom was the first person I thought of,” says Alvarado. “She always told me to take full advantage of my education. Even though she did not get to finish school, she played a big role and inspired me to choose elementary education.”

Alvarado shares that initially he was worried about interacting with elementary students. He did not know if he would be able to relate to the young students. His clinical experiences proved that he absolutely made the right choice.

“The minute I stepped into the elementary classroom I loved it,” Juan exclaims. “Even though they are only 8, 9 or 10, they are the future doctors, engineers or lawyers. You’re making an impact on the leaders of tomorrow.”

One of Alvarado’s professors, Paul Chaplin, emphasized that ‘a child does not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.’ This belief resonated and is central to Alvarado’s classroom philosophy. Even though Alvarado was a gifted student and studied in the Honors College, he wants his own students to think less of him as a brainiac and more as someone who seeks their success.

“When I walk in the classroom, I don’t pretend to be the best teacher or perfect,” Alvarado says. “Anyone can study material, but I want my students to know they are more than a name on a class roster.”

As Alvarado completed his final year, he was undecided about where he would begin his teaching career. He enjoyed teaching in schools both in the city and the suburbs. While he was initially planning on staying closer to downtown, the opportunity to live in the Fairfield County Teacher Village changed his mind.

The Teacher Village was founded by the Fairfield County School District Foundation to provide new and convenient housing to educators in the district. Educators in the rural county often had long commutes and spent hours on the road to and from school, some living as far away as Charlotte. Educators now have the chance to live in affordable, high-quality housing with access to technology and opportunities to build community with fellow educators.

Alvarado is able to live in the community for one year rent-free thanks to generous support from the College of Education. In the future, the home will house College of Education student interns who are completing their final placements in Fairfield County. Alvarado admits he was nervous at first to move to such a rural area, but the community has embraced him, and he feels right at home.

“I kept hearing ‘we’re a close-knit community,’” says Alvarado. “I’ve found it to be true. Everyone in Winnsboro already knows who I am.”

Alvarado shares that the closeness has already brought him new opportunities that he might not have had as a first-year teacher elsewhere. He has met the superintendent and has been nominated by his principal for a district research project.

“We are more than coworkers, we are family,” says Alvarado. “Some of my neighbors work in my school, and we have dinner together, and it has helped us get to know each other. The whole school greets me when I arrive in the morning because they saw me on the news.”

Alvarado says that the short commute and time with fellow educators helps him focus on his priority: his students. He hopes that educators in the village appreciate the work-life balance that living there brings. He says he wants to make the best of this opportunity and continue pushing toward his goals. One day he might even be a superintendent himself.

“While I am a teacher, I want to make sure I am the best person I can be for my students,” says Alvarado. “I might be a principal one day, but I always tell my colleagues that I am not spending time in the classroom just to add to my resume. I want to take advantage of every opportunity and every minute. I’m thankful that Fairfield County chose to invest in me in this way.”