A Cuban teacher who has been teaching Spanish at a secondary school in Sweden for five years shared on TikTok the heartfelt letter left by a student upon finishing ninth grade, a gesture that moved her deeply and which she described as "the proof of how well I have done."
The teacher, known on that social media platform as @marydollys, has had this group of students for three consecutive years —seventh, eighth, and ninth grade— and acknowledged that the journey was not easy from the beginning.
"The first three years were extremely tough; they were about learning, above all, how to deal with teenagers and their emotions, their hormones, and their hormonal changes," he explained in the video.
However, the letter she found at her workplace at the end of the school year confirmed that her effort was worth it.
The text, written in Spanish—the same language she teaches—is addressed to "Mari" and collectively signed by the group.
"Hello Mari, thank you for all these years as our Spanish teacher. You have made the classes fun and special with your energy, your humor, and your personality," the letter begins.
Students highlighted very specific moments that defined their experience in class: "We will always remember your expressions, your stories from Cuba, and all the times we laughed together in class."
The group also honestly acknowledged their own behavior: "Although we haven't always been the calmest bunch, you have always tried to help us and have done everything possible for us to learn Spanish. We really appreciate it very much."
The letter ends with a heartfelt goodbye message: "Now that we have finished ninth grade, we just want to thank you for everything and wish you much happiness in the future. We will never forget you or all the memories of Spanish class. Thank you so much, Mari."
The professor shared the video, visibly moved, and admitted that she never expected to come so far in this role: "When I accepted this job, I knew it would be a great challenge for me as a person and as a professional. And today, I do not regret it."
The case of @marydollys represents an increasingly common profile among Cuban emigrants in Europe: that of professionals who reinvent themselves in their host countries and manage to integrate into foreign educational systems to teach their mother tongue as a second language.
In recent years, other Cuban teachers have gained visibility on social media, although usually for reasons related to dance and popular culture within classrooms on the Island.
The case of this teacher in Sweden stands out, in contrast, for its emotional and pedagogical dimension: five years of sustained work that culminated in a letter written in the language she herself taught them.
"I am going to miss them a lot," said the teacher as she said goodbye to her ninth-grade students.
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