Paola De Avila is the head of the ESL (English as a Second Language) Department at Southern Lee High School. She advocates for Latino students, drawing from her journey as an immigrant from Colombia. Through her experiences navigating challenges such as ESL classes and financial constraints, she highlights the transformative power of education and human resilience. She is a 2023-24 Kenan Fellow, 2024 Teacher of the Year for Southern Lee High School, and the first recipient of NCDPI’s 2023-24 English Language Development Recognition Award.