Chestine Florian is an educator that grew up in The Bronx. Florian has been teaching for 15 years and has made an impact on my life. Which is why I decided to interview them. As she has inspired me into having PRIDE, an acronym for pride, respect, integrity, determination and excellence. A motto that she has taught her students for many years. She went to Hamilton College where she was inspired to become a teacher and now has been an educator for 15 years. She now has her family which includes her daughter, Azalea and her husband Jose. My goal for this interview was to get to know Mrs. Florian outside of her teaching career.

My first question to her was “What is home for you?” Her response was “Home is wherever Jose and Azalea are, it’s where I feel supported. Home is not just a location; it is a feeling. Home is The Bronx. Home is my classroom.” She says home is not only a place but a feeling of support from others. She describes The Bronx and her classroom as places where she feels at home. Her family is what makes her feel at home because of the support that she feels from them. 

My second question to her is “What advice would you give your younger self?” She says, “to love herself. Put herself first” is what she would say to her younger self. She goes on to say especially as a mom, she needs to put time for herself. Furthermore, she needs to find joy in doing things. She says she should also add herself to the “list” of others she attends to, such as her students and family. 

My third question “Is there something you always wanted to do but haven’t done yet? “ She responds saying “To go to Greece. ” She says she previously had gone to Italy during her college years, when her roomate mentioned that tickets to Italy were good and she decided to go. She said it was a good experience and she got to do something she really wanted to do and therefore, is hoping to go to Greece one day.

My fourth question to her was “What is an experience in your life that you would never forget?” She goes on to list multiple events that she will never forget. She says when her daughter was born, her wedding, and happy moments like her trip to Italy. She also says that there are also not so good events that have happened in her life that she will never forget such as her mom passing away. 

My fifth question to her “what’s the best advice you had gotten” She said “Go to therapy.” These three words were said to her by her best friend. This was said after she lost her mom and her best friend was worried about her and told her to go to therapy. Her best friend convinced her to get professional help because she had seen her mom’s passing affecting her. Chestine also goes on to say it has helped her a lot.

My final question to her was “Do you have a favorite book?”  She says, “Alchemist by Paulo Coelho ” She goes on to say that the book was given to her by her best friend, and the book has taught her a lot. She says that the book has made her see to understand the choices we make. She said, “to trust our gut.” She also says that she used the book as well to help her write her vows for her wedding. The book has helped her recenter herself when she loses sight of her purpose.

Overall, I was content with what I have learned from my former teacher because it gave me an insight of her personal life. It made me look at her differently from outside of the classroom. It showed me how she is not only a loving teacher, but a loving parent, wife, best friend, daughter, and someone who enjoys doing what they do. I accomplished my goal of getting to know her more, and it also made me closer to her because I learned new things, such as her love for traveling and other experiences she has. Getting to see how she feels about certain things, made me feel like I could relate to because she mentioned how even she feels lost at times. Listening to her made me connect to my own life and take her own advice to herself for me.  Her experiences I know what events she went through.