A local educator that plays an important role in the Dual Language Immersion program in Uintah School District has received the support of the community to ensure he can continue his work teaching local youth. Mr. Mendoza, affectionately known as Pepe among his students, teaches AP Spanish in addition to the 9th grade Dual Language Immersion Spanish class. In 2022, before Mr. Mendoza arrived, only about 15% of students passed the AP Spanish exam at Uintah. Since his arrival, from 2023 through 2026, 147 students took the AP Spanish exam and 106 passed it, jumping to a 72% passing rate. Mr. Mendoza and his family are from Peru. In order for Mr. Mendoza to stay and continue teaching in Uintah School District, they must first go through the process of obtaining an H-1B Visa. Uintah School District has agreed to sponsor the Visa application as long as the necessary funds, which includes application fees and legal expenses, are donated to the District for this purpose. As of Thursday morning, it appears the needed amount of just under $4000 has been received through the GoFundMe under the name ‘Help Pepe Continue Teaching At Uintah’. Families with children in the District’s Dual Language Immersion program stepped up in a big way to ensure the program continues strong.
Photo: Shared by Genica Donaldson