Gladys Gonzalez, Wolfe Street Academy, K-5
Middle School: Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle
High School: Digital Harbor High School, Class of 2017
Post-high school: Went straight into the workforce for the Baltimore City Health Department, spending three years as a community outreach worker and assisting people who are bilingual. She hopes to attend college one day, but for now is grateful for her valuable work experience doing what she loves.
Current Career: Bilingual Health Educator, Planned Parenthood, 2022 to present
I always had a great interest in sex education because, growing up in a religious family where sex was not discussed, I didn’t get information from my family. A lack of information can mean that people make poor choices. For my job, I go all over Baltimore, from elementary schools to senior housing centers to teach people about their bodies, birth control, and healthy relationships. I teach in English and Spanish and recently returned to Wolfe Street to teach 4th and 5th grade students about their bodies, puberty, and consent. This class was part of Wolfe Street’s Family Life Program in partnership with Planned Parenthood.
Q: HOW DID ATTENDING A BCP SCHOOL PREPARE YOU FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE?
“Wolfe Street always pushed me to overcome my own challenges like the language barrier. When I started in Kindergarten, I did not speak English. Wolfe Street has a high number of bilingual students. The teachers helped me learn English and never let me give up. They treated me like family. Mr. Gaither [Principal Mark Gaither] is like a father figure to me. He pushed us to think about how we can give back to our community.”
Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WOLFE STREET EXPERIENCE?
“A favorite memory I have of Wolfe Street is packing and distributing lunches to the people who were homeless in our community. I knew that I wanted to help others with my career–Wolfe Street planted in me that passion for serving people in my community.”
