“I wish you were

my dad.”

I looked up from tuning my guitar in this small-empty classroom and stared back at this young man who I just met 3 months prior. 

“What did you say?” I mumbled.

He looked me dead in the eye and without blinking; “I said I wish you were my dad. My stepdad is nice, but I wish you were him instead.” Then he went back to strumming a C-chord on his guitar as if nothing happened.

To him, he was expressing how he felt at that moment.

To me, those words changed my life forever.

It made a 21-year-old college student see the power and influence a teacher can have on a young person’s life.

When I  took the job at an after-school program teaching guitar, I had no idea it was going to be the first stepping stone in my career to becoming an educator.

Fast-forward 14 years to the present day, I still do my best to help young people believe in themselves just like that young boy back in 2009.

A big part of that mission has been creating a book that I’ve been working on since my first year as an educator.

Currently, I still work as a 4th-grade teacher and share my ideas, tips, and resources on my social media that others might find useful.

I want to make a massive impact on education and help kids pursue their passions and reach their full potential.

I have big plans for the future, including opening my own school one day.

There are still many stepping stones to cross before I get there.

Join me for the journey…

-Diego Napoles