Daissy Tabares and Rossana Pe帽a
Spanish teacher Daissy Tabares and therapist Rossana Pe帽a first connected in Sept 2021 at a meeting through a student who knew them both.
The first thing that struck Tabares when she met Pe帽a was the culture they shared. As they are both from Mexico, Tabares and Pe帽a speak Spanish and share similar childhood experiences. 鈥淚t was like seeing myself on campus,鈥 she said. As she got to know Pe帽a more, Tabares saw just how committed Pe帽a was to her values. 鈥淪he really meant business when it came to something that was important to her,鈥 Tabares said.
When Pe帽a first got to know Tabares, she knew right away that Tabares was sweet and kind. More interactions revealed how much Tabares cared about other people, especially her students. 鈥淪he is a very big advocate for her students,鈥 Pe帽a said. 鈥淚f her student is struggling with a staff (member) or classwork, she will always be talking to them and helping them out.鈥
Throughout their one-and-a-half years of friendship, Pe帽a and Tabares have shared many meaningful memories together. One that stands out the most is chaperoning last year鈥檚 Prom. They took time before the dance to get dressed up in Tabares鈥 classroom. 鈥淲e were getting ready with our little mirrors, putting makeup on and everything,鈥 Pe帽a said.
Another memorable moment they shared was when they met outside of school for the first time around Halloween in 2021. They dined together at Estrellita, a Mexican cuisine restaurant, on San Antonio Road. Pe帽a was dressed as Princess Peach while Tabares was dressed as Mavis from 鈥淗otel Transylvania.鈥 Complete opposites costumes-wise, they still easily connected through their conversation.
Tabares values that their strong relationship is built on good communication. She explained that they are adept at seeing different perspectives and attempting to understand each other. 鈥淲e just have a really good balance and are very open to each other鈥檚 feedback,鈥 she said.
Pe帽a values her friendship with Tabares because of the mutual love and humor that lies between them. Whenever one person is upset, the other manages to find a way to cheer them up, and they always end up laughing together. 鈥淚 feel that we are very supportive of each other, knowing that she can come to me and I can go to her for anything,鈥 Pe帽a said. Tabares added that they intuitively understand each other, which connects them as well. 鈥淲e can just look at each other and still say so much without actually saying anything,鈥 she said.
Part of their closeness comes from seeing each other every day. Both Tabares and Pe帽a share their appreciation for working at the same high school. For Tabares, it brings back past memories, as if she were back in high school again, attending classes with her close friend. Pe帽a believes that having a close friend present on campus allows her to step away from work at times. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really nice because I can connect my personal life with my work,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best of both worlds.鈥
As the years go on, both Pe帽a and Tabares believe that their friendship will continue to stay strong. Even if one or the other decides to leave Gunn, they promise to make an effort to continue seeing each other and stay patient. 鈥淚t will only get stronger,鈥 Pe帽a said.