[quote style=”2″]Clara B. Fitzgerald Didn’t Let Circumstances Keep Her Down[/quote]
Clara B. Fitzgerald arrived in Hermiston 14 years ago “homeless, carless and moneyless,” as she puts it. But, she says, she wasn’t clueless.
“I knew I needed to provide for my sons, so I worked and attended school at the same time,” she says. One of her first jobs in Hermiston was at Simplot, where she “worked all jobs, all shifts.” She also worked at Columbia Crest Winery from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. She worked for the East Oregonian, translating its monthly Hispanic edition, and was a swim instructor at the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center during the summers.
To better provide for herself and her three sons, she put herself through school, while still working full time. She eventually earned her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University, then her master’s degree in education – with an emphasis on literacy – from Washington State University. Today, she is the site coordinator and instructor for the English Language Development program at Sam Boardman Elementary School. She credits her success, in part, to her competitive nature.
“If someone says ‘I ran five miles today,’ I go out and run eight – just for the satisfaction,” she says.
And speaking of running, Fitzgerald is running unopposed for a seat on the Hermiston City Council. Earlier this year, she joined the city’s Hispanic Advisory Committee. She says the time is right for her to get involved in serving the city.
“I have come to a point in my life where I feel comfortable as part of Hermiston’s townspeople,” she says. “I decided that it was time for me to give back, so this is my way of demonstrating my thankfulness to the residents of Hermiston.”
Fitzgerald says she is particularly interested in public safety and is in favor of the city’s urban renewal efforts. She would also like to see the city work to bring in additional food processing plants as well as energy plants to the area.
With her role on the Hispanic Advisory Committee, Fitzgerald says she is invested in helping Hermiston become an even more diverse city.
“The city council has embraced this by creating the Hispanic Advisory Committee,” she says. “Other towns are observing and taking notice. I believe Hermiston is paving the way for a more modern, well-adjusted town that recognizes the need for all people and that ‘e pluribus Unum’ – out of many we are one.”
In her job at Sam Boardman Elementary School, Fitzgerald sees first-hand the needs of disadvantaged children. Of the 340 students at the school, 230 are in her ELD program.
“I have a large ELL (English Language Learner) population that I serve,” she says. “Most students are from low-income families. They are children of field and migrant workers. Some come and go according to the season, while others stay for a couple of weeks to months and I never see them again.” The one constant, however, is Fitzgerald’s commitment to the ones who stick around.
“I double – sometimes triple – dip students in language just to get them caught up with their peers,” she says. Fitzgerald’s dedication goes beyond helping her students in the classroom and teaching them English. She visits them in their homes and even goes so far as to buy clothes and groceries for them.
“It involves hours talking with parents about their situation and their child’s education,” she says.
As busy as she is, Fitzgerald still manages to find time for herself. She loves the outdoors and enjoys swimming, bicycling, kayaking and cross training.
“Anything that has to do with physical strength and endurance,” she says. And when she’s done working up an appetite, she heads straight to the kitchen.
“I have a passion for cooking and can whip up a gourmet meal out of most anything!”
Election ballots are due on May 20.
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