As the 2023 school year began, the Upper School faced the prospect of opening without a full staff of World Languages teachers. With the unexpected late departure of Mr. Arias, a search was launched just days before students would arrive. Soon after, a replacement would be found: Señora Therese Gold.
Señora Tejera-Mede, US World Language Department Chair, explains how much of an impression Gold made on her, “We had an open space for a new teacher. I spoke to her and she was so happy. She spoke Spanish, only Spanish to me. I thought she would be a great fit for our school.”
Señora Gold, a New York native, figured out what she wanted to do early in life. She continued to explore her passion for Spanish and found a way to share that with others.
“I grew up in Huntington, Long Island, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do exactly, so then I knew that I loved children and speaking Spanish and was good at it. I loved the culture, so I put them together and decided to become a Spanish teacher. I was hired when I was 21 at Huntington High School. I loved it but then I had three children and resigned and was going to be a stay-at-home mom, but then the school [in New York] called me the day before school and asked me to work for them, and I did,” said Señora Gold.
Señora Gold’s career quickly flourished, as she brought her personality and determination to her two-decade-long job as an educator. She began to focus not just on teaching students Spanish, but also on the community and world around them.
Gold made sure to get all of her students involved in community outreach, “I started a lot of programs in our high school like Habitat for Humanity, I brought students to soup kitchens every month, and we made bags of food for the homeless in the nearby communities. I took groups to Spain and created a summer study abroad program. I just love it. I went to Nicaragua on a mission trip three times. I just really think that there’s a lot to show children about the world outside of a textbook.”
While teaching was an obvious fit for the new Spanish teacher, deciding what subject she would master took her a bit more time to decide on. She found her love for languages in high school and traveled the world exploring them.
“I guess I had an ear for Spanish because I visited my sister who was studying abroad and everybody there said that I spoke so much better than she did,” explained Gold. I knew I had an ear for it, so I took French and Spanish in high school, and then I lived in Madrid. I went to Madrid and then I went back and did the rest of my masters in Soria, or northern Spain.”
Once Gold became fluent in the language of Spanish, she began to try to figure out ways she could help the world around her with these new skills. One life experience showed her just how important speaking Spanish could be.
Gold, on a mission trip in Nicaragua, continued her community service in another part of the world, “I was on a mission trip in Nicaragua. It was a medical mission trip, and I was translating with my friend, who was the doctor. There was a line out the door, and my job was to take their names and symptoms. They were coming to see the American doctor. It was simple like giving them vitamins or eye drops. It was very minimal,” said Gold. “One girl came into the clinic and complained about stomach pains and I had to translate to the doctor, and he examined her. He said we need to go to the hospital right now, she’s having appendicitis. We got to the hospital and our church organization paid for the surgery, and we saved her life. That made me realize how important it is to communicate with others. The doctor couldn’t have communicated, but I was there to be the bridge between her and the doctor, and it saved her life. That was one moment I knew learning a language was really cool.”
After seeing the impact both Spanish and teaching had on the people around her, Señora Gold continued to be an educator in New York. Many years later, she decided to retire and move to Florida.
Gold shared why she moved, “I taught for 31 years and then I retired in New York. My husband wanted to play golf so we moved down here. My best friend lives in Palm Beach Gardens, and I wanted to be close enough to her but north a little bit, so we found a great community.”
The Spanish teacher was planning on spending her days playing pickleball and enjoying sunny Florida, but that is not what happened. Her love for teaching quickly drew her back to students.
“I took students to Spain this summer and realized, after being retired for a year, that I was bored, and that I still wanted to do this. I love it. A job interview popped up and I saw it and sent my application… It was a gift and meant to be, I think,” stated Gold joyfully.
Señora Gold loves every part of teaching, both inside and outside the classroom. There are many reasons she feels this way, but she most definitely has a favorite part of teaching.
“The kids. 100 percent being with the kids. I think it’s really hard for children to be students these days,” said the new Spanish teacher. “I think it’s competitive, and I think that if I can give them an opportunity to enjoy my class and enjoy learning, and feel like they’re in a safe atmosphere and that I care about them, that’s my goal.”
Gold’s passion for teaching is clear, as her students received her warmly, and instantly enjoyed her class.
“She knows what she is talking about and is really nice. She loves what she is teaching, and it shows”, said Sophomore Caroline Welke.
Overall, Señora Therese Gold has been a wonderful and much-needed addition to the Benjamin community. Her love for teaching, Spanish, and giving back to the community make her trusted and appreciated by all of her students. Gold’s move from New York to Florida was perfect timing, giving Benjamin the perfect new member of their world language staff.
