Mrs. Patricia Santillan

I was born in Brownsville, Texas on November 20, 1973. I graduated from Porter High School in June, 1992. I graduated in the top 5%, ranked 23 out of 590 seniors. I was a migrant student throughout my junior high, high school, and a few summers during my college years. We traveled to Michigan (Stockbridge, Fowlerville, Lansing, Traverse City) from 1983-1989. We worked in the fields picking cucumbers (my 2 brothers, 3 sisters, and I would sit on the tall buckets and eat one with kool-aid, salt, and hot sauce on a daily basis), cabbage, strawberries (half would go to our stomach, the other half to the bucket), and cherries (which I personally never liked to eat). From 1990-1995, we traveled to Blue Earth, Minnesota. Our job was a lot easier there. We worked indoors at Green Giant Foods, now Seneca Foods, canning peas and corns. We worked the night shift from 7 pm until 7am, six days a week. With money earned during the summers, my parents would allow us to buy a bus ticket (except in the year 1986) to come back to school and start on time, buy our supplies for school, and clothing that would have to last us until the next summer. My parents always encouraged us to continue our education so that our lives would be better. (My parents still migrate to Minnesota because of the summer heat here in the valley). I graduated from TAMU-Kingsville on May 9, 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and got married the day after on May 10, 1997. I enjoy the fields of Math and Science. Due to my husband's job location here in the valley, I became certified to teach Secondary Math and have been here at K.White since spring of '99, as a long term Science substitute teacher with Oddysey 8th grade team and as a full-time Math teacher since. Now that I am a teacher and due to my childhood experiences, I learned how difficult it may be to adjust to school, especially if a student does not start on the first day of school due to their migrant status (in 1986, I enrolled in school until October). I know how that first impression is so important to a child to help the student feel secure and trust that he/she will be successful. With parents and teachers working together, we will make this school year successful for your son/daughter. I look forward to helping your son/daughter.