The Panther: Hi, can you say your full name for me?
Suarez: My name is Maria Pizarro-Suarez.
The Panther: What do you teach?
Suarez: I teach World History, both regular and honors, as well as AP Human Geography.
The Panther: How long have you been a teacher?
Suarez: I have been a teacher since 2004.
The Panther: Did you always want to be a teacher as a kid?
Suarez: Actually, no. I have always been interested in it, as I used to play teacher or school with my cousins and friends. But growing up, I had always wanted to be a lawyer. Then, when I started to pursue law, I realized that the kind of law I wanted to practice was child advocacy. When I started to learn more about that, I realized that law school would put me into severe debt. It would not exactly pay the bills. So it would take me a long time to repay those loans which I would need to take out for law school. So, I began teaching and was good at it. I was effective. I was praised by my superiors. My department chair, who I was mentored by and praised, helped me start off in middle school. My administrators made me realize that I actually was already advocating for children but in a different way. So that is when I decided to stay with education.
The Panther: Where are you from?
Suarez: Miami, Fla., specifically Cutler Ridge. Now Cutler Bay, but I used to live in Cutler Ridge when I grew up, born and raised in South Bay.
The Panther: Did you go to college?
Suarez: I went for undergrad to Florida International University. I received my bachelor’s in sociology and anthropology with a minor in religious studies. Then I worked and gave myself a break because I was always trying to figure out what to do next. I was still thinking about law school, but then, when I finally realized what I wanted to do for grad school, post undergrad, I decided to move to Chicago, and get a degree in International Public Service Management, where I got to do study abroad work with nonprofits that provided services to the communities. The ones, of course, that I was most interested in provided services and resources to children within the community. So I started off in Chicago. Sadly, when I graduated, it was at the time of the Great Recession, and if you are not familiar with nonprofits, nonprofits rely heavily on donations and grants. So many people were not very generous during that time. I got a lot of job opportunities, but it would be less than I would have made as a classroom teacher. So I was like, well, technically, I can always do both. I can essentially consult for nonprofits and work as a teacher, which I did, and I moved back to Florida so I could have the support of my family and friends and get out of the Chicago cold.
The Panther: What made you pick history to teach?
Suarez: I teach World History because that’s part of the social science certification. Miami-Dade County used to offer a sociology class and a sociology curriculum, but very few schools offer that. So that would have been my preference to teach that. But I actually started teaching a world geography class, which is very similar to AP Human Geography. This is why I love teaching AP Human Geography because that really is a sociology class. It’s the study of societies and how they operate. So I do enjoy it because of not just my undergraduate degree, but because of the experience and the public service management skills that I have learned in my graduate program. It really helped me relate to the material, utilize that experience, and showcase my adventures around the world.
The Panther: Thank You!
