Member News

From teaching her grandmother how to read and write while still a child in Brazil to teaching students English as a second language, Fabiana Parker has stayed committed to helping others learn.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently recognized Parker, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher at Thornburg Middle School and Spotsylvania High School, as the 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year.

“I am so happy to be the 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year, especially because I have a voice now to represent my students and ESOL students, which is a population that has been growing in Virginia,” Parker said. “And sometimes we don’t get the funds or the voice that we need for those students.”

Parker promised her high schoolers that they could celebrate with a classroom party if she won the award. Sure enough, just before the holiday break, she and her students gathered to share food from their countries and commemorate their teacher’s accomplishment.

“It’s been really wonderful just to receive accolades and have your district and your school recognize your efforts and the work that you put into the kids and to your job every day,” Parker said.

Parker teaches students who come from all over the world — Afghanistan, El Salvador, China and beyond. On any given day, there are 48 languages spoken at Thornburg Middle School. “That, to me, is just amazing,” Parker said. “I thrive in that kind of environment.”

Growing up in Brazil, Parker, at the age of 10, taught her grandmother how to read and write. She then moved to London with her family where she had to learn English without any access to ESOL courses.

“It was extremely difficult,” Parker recalls. “There were a lot of tears. I didn’t want to go to school. But, you know, you do what you have to do.”

She persevered, eventually attending King’s College for a degree in modern foreign languages and education and picking up Portuguese, Spanish and Italian along the way.

“My plan when I was living in England was to become a Spanish or Portuguese teacher,” Parker said. “Well, life had other plans.” Parker met her husband, who is now a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, in London. They moved to Idaho, where Parker’s husband was stationed, starting her life on a new trajectory.

Parker began teaching in Idaho while completing a master’s degree in education, curriculum and instruction from Boise State University. The next move was to Virginia, where she’s been teaching ESOL for the past seven years.

One of Parker’s goals as a teacher is to be cognizant of the obstacles her students face – challenges that she has tackled firsthand.

“English is important,” she said. “That's the language we use in this country primarily.” Yet she takes into account that her students come with their own cultural and linguistic backgrounds. “We have to build on that and be mindful and respectful that these are people that come to us … and they are learning English.”

Being bilingual has many benefits, Parker notes as her students go on to successful careers in business and teaching. “It’s so beautiful for me to see where they started,” Parker said. “Coming to a new country and not knowing the language and going through all these struggles that I have been through—so I understand—to where they are now, using their skills and their passion to contribute to society.”

Soon, like Parker, they will turn their attention to retirement. Her advice to incoming teachers under the Hybrid Retirement Plan is to maximize voluntary contributions as soon as possible to ensure you get the highest match from employers. Parker also suggests talking to a MissionSquare representative to fully understand the defined contribution component of the Hybrid Retirement Plan. “Make sure you talk to a rep so you can set yourself up for, you know, the best possible retirement ever right from the beginning.”