La carta de despedida de Liza

Pues se trata de seguir haciendo caminos así es que después de todos estos años de estar trabajando para la escuela —EBI— como voluntaria y luego como empleada, ahora Liza ha decidido despedirse y pasar la batuta.

Acá está la carta que compartió con la comunidad de la escuela.

Dear EBI community,

In 2004, a small group of fellow parents and educators sat around my kitchen table while I excitedly showed them my powerpoint presentation outlining a vision for a new independent school in the East Bay – an independent, Spanish-immersion school with an international focus. That started the long process of outlining the mission, the core values, financial models, enrollment forecasts, fundraising tactics and marketing plans. With little money, no head of school, and no teachers, we rented the St. Augustine building. That modest funding we had gathered came from small donors who were friends and family members.

To say that our idea proved popular is an understatement. We had crossed fingers that we might enroll 18 students for our first year, but we opened miraculously with 80. Students 79 and 80 were proudly recruited at 3am in Alta Bates Hospital as I went into pre-term labor. The doctor had heard about the school and was hoping to enroll his children! While I was on bedrest the next week, he went down to fill out his application.

As one might expect in a new school, the first years had a few blips. But I was thrilled in the third year when, as the Board Chair, I signed the hiring papers for Jon Fulk. Once he was running the school, I was able to step down from my role and move into a paid position as the Admissions Director. There I continued to recruit new families, although fortunately, no longer in the middle of the night in the hospital.

My time at EBI has been incredibly special. I am proud of EBI’s many accomplishments. I am thankful for the many people who have made EBI what it is today: the students, staff, teachers, parents and the members of the Board of Trustees who have volunteered so much time. I am especially grateful to our founding parents and students, including my own children, who paved the way for future generations.

I have decided to step down from my role in EBI. I plan to pursue other interests and seek out new exciting ventures. I remain strongly committed to the goals and ideals that EBI set out to achieve. Ideals I will take with me as I move on to the next chapter of my life.

I hope that EBI will continue to flourish and grow. It is a unique place with so much yet to achieve.

With gratitude,

Liza Sánchez
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