Faculty Emeriti Profile: Alina Mendoza

AM: I taught 6th, 7th and 8th graders foundations in math, pre-algebra, algebra 1 and algebra 2. I helped with yearly school dances, St. Alban’s Day and Spirit Week and I organized the annual talent show. I also designed and created costumes for two plays a year. 

AM: I was born in La Habana, Cuba, left at age one and moved to Madrid, Spain at age five. I grew up in Madrid, attended Runnymede College, a private British school very much like RE. At age 19, I moved to Miami to attend FIU, working full time to pay for college. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in computer science. 

When I was 33, I was the manager of a title company in Miami. Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida so we did not have any closings, since there were no houses to sell. I was blamed for not closing any houses, so I quit my job and went back to school. At 34, I got my Master’s in mathematical education at FIU and became a teacher. It was my lifelong dream, but at the beginning, the other jobs paid much more. I graduated and started working in August 1994 at Braddock Senior High. My niece Cristi Mendoza Edmunds '86 called me in March and told me there was an opening for a math teacher, I started working at RE in August 1995.

AM: I really enjoyed teaching in a classroom and interacting with the students. I also enjoyed all the activities we came up with to entertain the student body. Not to mention, the great lifelong friendships I made with a lot of my colleagues.  

AM: I had many funny stories, but one of my favorite was on Valentine's Day, most of the kids had carnations with them. In class, two kids started bickering with each other and I asked them to stop. They were blaming each other, and I said, “It takes two to tango.” Immediately, another student puts his carnation in his mouth, stands up, takes my hand and says “Do you want to Tango?” The class and I lost it.

AM: I must say that my favorite memories were our field trips. The 8th grade San Francisco spring break trip always brought great memories. From teaching the kids how to walk the streets of San Francisco, how to eat dim sum in Chinatown, and enjoying fun times with the rest of the chaperones. 

Also our marathon one-day trips to the Island of Adventure were priceless. I introduced roller coasters to many middle schoolers. One year, a girl asked me to ride the Hulk with her as it was her first time ever on a roller coaster. When the ride finished, I looked at her and asked, “How was it?” She said, “Great, but can we do it again so I can open my eyes this time?”

RE: You have kids who attended RE, right?
AM: Yes, Antonio (Toto) graduated in 2007, Catalina (Kika) in 2009 and Victoria (Viki) in 2011. 

AM: I miss the kids. They keep you young and on your toes. I also miss my colleagues, but not that much, as we get together regularly to catch up. 

AM: Since retiring in 2023, I keep myself very busy. I spent the first six months of retirement planning Viki’s wedding, which took place Jan. 6, 2024. 

I am still doing the costumes for the two middle school plays, so I still get to interact with the students. I am also traveling. This year I went to Alaska, Spain, Croatia and Slovenia. I already have a trip planned for next year to Egypt and Turkey. I have lunches with family and friends who are also retired. And to top it all off, I just purchased the abandoned property next to my house, and I will be doing a fixer upper. This has been my dream for several years.