Phoenix Charter Academy Network

"I didn't know Spanish until I was 7 or 8," explains Alexis, a Mexican-Guatemalan student Phoenix Academy Lawrence . "My dad offered to take me back to Mexico, but he told me I had to learn Spanish in just two weeks if I wanted to go. Of course he had already bought the plane tickets, but I didn't know that! I started carrying around a notebook with me, writing down every Spanish word and phrase that I could. When I finally got to Mexico, the language came so naturally to me, and I eventually didn't need the notebook anymore."

Alexis loves his Hispanic heritage, and explains how proud he is of being Mexican. "It's just the best. The food, the culture...the way people live their lives. My family comes from the pueblo, so I love going back to visit. The feeling you get there, especially in the plaza - the street vendors hustling...families just enjoying their time outside together. It's a beautiful community, where everyone just slows down and spends time with each other."

Oh, and did he mention the food? "Enchiladas verdes and tacos de birria...those are my favorites!"

There's only a few more weeks until school starts, and we've got plenty of new staff that we want to keep celebrating! Meet Amarilis Concepción, our new Director of Operations at Phoenix Lawrence. Ms. Concepción comes to us from Lawrence Public Schools, where she served as an Operations Manager. Amarilis, who was raised in Lawrence, looks forward to getting to know our students and families as she continues to invest in the city that has given so much over her life. When she's not at work, Amarilis enjoys spending quality time with her family, seeing comedy shows, reading on the beach, and trying out different restaurants. Welcome, Ms. Concepción!