Staff Profile: Maria Carmen Garcia

LIND – Maria Carmen Garcia is this month’s recipient of the Above and Beyond award from the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School District.

Garcia performs multiple jobs for the school district, working as the migrant records clerk, a general education paraprofessional working with kids in the classroom, Lind Elementary School’s verbal translator working with parents, and working as the translator for the entire school district.

“She wears many hats,” Lind Elementary School Dean of Students Sarah Dinkins said.

Dinkins said she and principal Darrell Lembcke sat down together to choose from a large list of qualified candidates who would receive the award.

“We felt that Carmen has earned the Above and Beyond Award for her dedication and support to all our students and families,” Dinkins said. “Carmen has done an amazing job of translating multi-case documents during this COVID epidemic, and it’s amazing how fast she gets those done. She’s just doing a great job of keeping that line of communication open with our Hispanic families. She’s always jumping in, helping out with food service, and helping out with sanitizing. She’s just a great part of our team at Lind.”

Superintendent Don Vanderholm agreed.

“I have worked with several translators over the years, and I have never had anyone turn things around this quickly,” Vanderholm said. “She does a great job with that, as well as the way she works with and reaches out to our families. I really appreciate her service.”

Dinkins said Garcia started with the school district as a substitute teacher for Mrs. Christy Saetre, then worked last year as a transitional bilingual parapro and migrant parapro.

Dinkins estimated 10-25% of students attending Lind Elementary School were from Hispanic families.

“We average about three to five per grade level,” Dinkins said. “Carmen lives in Hatton, so I think that helps with the community trusting her. It’s hard to gain their trust. Christy (Saetre) worked with them for a long time, so she had a great relationship with them, and it helped having that great relationship between the community and the school.

“Carmen said she loves her job,” Dinkins added. “She used to work as a secretary in Othello at Columbia Basin Health.”