Biography EDF 1005 and EDF 2085

Patricia Gutierrez is a 20 Cuban immigrant that was born in the city of Havana in the year 1989. First daughter her parents, has a sister two years younger, Laura. From a young age she always felt an inclination towards music, specifically the piano. At the age of seven through a job opportunity, her parents decided to leave the tropical island and head south to Chile. Starting a new life was difficult, she was categorized as the new kid in her school and her different accent didn’t exactly help her fit in. The children in her class felt she was different and throughout a period of time they alienated her, that is how Patty was treated, but it didn’t take too long for the other kids to learn to accept her differences. Patricia lived happily not enjoying the cold weather but definitely accompanied by good friends. Parents, Antonia and Rolando, felt that Chile was not the place to raise their daughters and so after six and a half years, the Gutierrez family made the decision of residing permanently in the United States. At 13, Patty began her 8^th grade in Palm Springs Middle School where she met new friends. During the course of her 9^th grade she was placed in ESOL classes because English was a barrier, but surprisingly at the end of the year she was admitted into regular classes. In high school she spent the best moments of her life, her involvement in sports like soccer, water polo, and swimming aided her in becoming a more outgoing person. Since she was a small child she was always interested in other cultures outside her own, Patty would spend her time learning foreign words and reading about specific countries. After studying piano with a private teacher, she graduated from the instrument when she was 18. While attending Miami Dade College for a Nursing major, she could constantly be seen around the music building practicing her hobby, here she was offered the opportunity to teach piano in a small school called “Harmony School of Arts & Music.” With no previous experience in teaching she was surprised at how patient she was and how much she enjoyed working with children. After working for a year, her next step was deciding to change her major to education. So there she is now…. To be continued.