Comanche Academy Surprises Teacher, Graduate

On Friday, November 15, Comanche Academy Charter School held a surprise event at Dorothy Sunrise Lorentino Education Center for graduate and pre-K through kindergarten teacher Linette Amparan.

She earned her bachelor’s degree and passed her teacher certification test.

“I began my academic journey at Cameron University in 1997 and had my associates but never really thought about going back because I didn't need it for the age level that I teach pre-k and kinder,” Amparan said. “So, it's my bachelor's in elementary education, and I did pass my Oklahoma State teaching certificate test. Super pumped.”

She said it was a lifelong desire to earn her degree.

“But I never found that purpose that would spark the fire for me to really just stop being lazy and get it done. I began here, and being around these kids, I realized they're worth it, and they're worth a lot more,” Amparan said. “So, I began my first year when I started teaching here, and just every time I would get tired or every time I would lose hope or think I was crying because I got a ‘B’ on a test, I would think of their little faces, and I'm like, no, get up, get up and do this and finish it for them. It still hasn't sank in the impact yet but it did a little bit this morning in that beautiful ceremony that they had for me that we're leading by example and we are showing them and they are noticing it that all the hard work is going to pay off. And it's part of that resiliency that we have as Native American people. We are resilient, and that is one of the things I want to show them the most is to be resilient and to continue to keep going. And reciprocity. We learned that this morning, too. It's like you put it out there. So, I would probably say, you know, the passion came back to me to finish it and complete it when I began work here three, four years ago.”

During the ceremony, her favorite part was hearing the language.

“It gives me goosies every time I hear our kids sing, every single morning when we do the morning ceremony, and they're singing, and they're speaking Comanche; there's a different presence that's around them. And you feel it when you're really in tune,” Amparan said. “…That’s what's so magical. And I think that connection through the kids is this wonderful journey that we're having here. And that was probably the best part about this morning and that whole ceremony thing. Everything was wonderful. But when the kids actually sang, and then the rest of the kids joined in, it was the most magical moment ever. And you can't ever take that back.”

Amparan said the little ones have so much magic and so much to offer.

Her family was there to support her; however, there was one person special to her who wasn’t able to make it.

“The one person I wish could have been there was my mom, but she's struggling with cancer now,” Amparan said. “But I know she's very proud because she knows how long it's just tough because I want to walk across the stage. I want her to see that. And I hope our creator allows that to happen.”

She said continuing education is important for teaching younger students.

“It's always continual, continuing education, especially in this field, especially for these kids,” Amparan said. “I think that working at a charter school be a little bit different in our goals and aspirations. There's a lot more of indigenous curriculum that I look at.”

She said she enjoys working at the charter school because she can indigenize the classroom.

“Since I began working here, there's a spiritual side that has been lit on fire. And when you mix the spirituality with the religion, it's really impactful, and you find a different purpose,” Amparan said. “In our class, you'll see that in any of the kids because I also do the wellness room here; I don't teach them what to think. I teach them how to think and to think for themselves. But I also teach them in a way of critical thinking, which, being Native American, that's what we did. Our ancestors were critical thinkers. They were the first ones to use the critical thinking skills. With the literature that we implement in pre-K and kindergarten, the kids, it is indigenized.”

The school will be featured in a documentary that will be released on February 14, 2025.

The Comanche Academy Charter School also hosted a powwow later that day.