As we celebrate 25 years of the TALON, we are taking a journey through time. Over the next few months, we will share a series of articles from past editions, showcasing the voices, stories, and moments that have shaped our school community. These pieces give us a window into the past, letting us see how students experienced school life, world events, and culture in different eras, and maybe even recognize some familiar names along the way:

During class, we don’t have time to discuss people’s life histories. This is especially true with our teachers. Therefore, I thought it would be fitting to uncover the little secrets about our beloved Spanish teacher, Guillermo Loyola, Pepe, who has taught at Graded for 12 years.

There are things in Pepe’s past that people don’t know about. And as we are curious beings, I think it is appropriate to learn a little more about what’s underneath his welcoming smile.

Now, there is a mystery shrouding our beloved Spanish teacher. Something I’m sure many people have wondered about is why the name in the schedule or in the email does not match what he asks you to call him. Why Pepe? People have been asking this question for a long time. It is my turn to give you the inside scoop.

Years ago, Pepe had a colleague who also taught Spanish at Graded. This particular colleague was using a text with a character named Pepe to teach her students. Sometimes, Pepe would need to come in and grab something from her classroom while she was teaching. So her students would start shouting as he walked through the door: “Look everybody, it’s Pepe! It’s Pepe!” After that, they started calling him Pepe rather than Guy or Mr. Loyola. As most nicknames do, it randomly stuck.

Pepe came to Brazil in 1994 after living his whole life in Cuba. He believes Cuba is a country different from the rest of the Americas, as it is a communist state. This makes the country isolated and different from its neighboring nations. Since Pepe wanted to gain a better understanding of the world, he wished to leave Cuba and explore it.

Currently, he’s very comfortable in Brazil, since the change was not culture-shocking. Pepe thinks Brazilian people act and behave very similarly to Cubans, which makes him feel right at home. The majority of Pepe’s family lives in Cuba, except for a few in the U.S., and sometimes his relatives come to visit him. Pepe told me that he had decided to leave Cuba because he wanted a change of environment and atmosphere. He wanted to get out of his comfort zone and have a new experience outside his home country. But he did reveal that coming to Brazil was merely a coincidence, because he was happy going anywhere as long as it was out of Cuba.

Pepe attended the University of Havana and studied Spanish literature during his time there. Despite graduating with flying colors, he did not start working as a teacher until later. For the next few years, he worked at a publishing company in Cuba. Pepe was an editor at that job, but also worked on other projects there too. He made a couple of magazines and even wrote the script and directed a radio show. What a hot shot!

After that, he came to Brazil to do his master’s degree and PhD. He only began to teach students after those years. Pepe was offered a position at Colégio Miguel de Cervantes, the Spanish international school in São Paulo. He took the job, and that’s when his career as a full-time teacher really started. While he was teaching at Colégio Miguel de Cervantes, someone he knew recommended Pepe to Graded, which prompted the school to offer him a position as a Spanish teacher. After the interview, he was accepted. Originally, Pepe thought he was only going to stay for a year, but later decided to remain.

We do not often know much about our teachers’ lives besides their names, nationalities, and other simple facts, but getting deep into their past is really interesting. People’s stories often go unnoticed if you pass them in the hallway and only speak about academics. I think it is important to know about Pepe’s as one feels so much closer to a person if they’ve connected with them on a level of trust where they can share their history and experiences.

I truly believe that this is a beautiful thing that makes up a strong bond, which, if between a teacher and a student, makes a special relationship.