PEGGY Falagan

MORE than an art history teacher

Many Miami Palmetto Senior High students are familiar with Margarita Falagan, better known to some as Peggy Falagan. Falagan adopted the nickname Peggy after her fifth grade teacher “relabeled” her; this nickname made her feel more like she belonged in America, her new home. As the school’s AP Art History teacher, she has taught thousands of students over the past 27 years. While students know of her wisdom, humor and openness, most do not know everything she has been through to get where she is today.

Born in Cuba in 1954, Falagan came to the United States at seven years old as a political exile fleeing the rise of the infamous Fidel Castro’s new corrupt government. Her family settled in Miami, where she immediately faced discrimination.

“I was [at Everglades Elementary] for a year, and luckily my parents took me out when they realized I was made to walk home because I was not allowed to eat with the rest of the children,” Falagan said. “The little girl that sat next to me…took her pencil and made a line on the table… she said that I could not go past that line. This was in second grade. Yet somehow, in my own mind, I just looked at her and said that somebody taught this little girl to do this. You’re not born with evil…I forgave her, just as I don’t find it in me to be evil like that.”

As Falagan grew up in Westchester, which was culturally segregated at a time when the rest of Miami-Dade County had a very small number of Cubans, her parents did their best to remain optimistic in a difficult situation.

“In spite of the fact that we had no money, my brother and I [were] never made aware of our unfortunate status as political exiles. My parents always had Christmas gifts for us. We always had everything that we wanted,” Falagan said. “My parents always hid the fact that we had nothing and that we were dirt poor.”

Despite the hardships she faced in childhood, Falagan went on to pursue a career in teaching later in her life, she originally was a ceramics teacher at the Jewish Community Center, or JCC. As part of a teaching internship, she was sent back to Everglades Elementary, the same school where she faced discrimination from students and faculty as a child. When she confronted a former teacher of hers, she received a cold, yet honest response.

“I explained to her the ordeal that I went through in her second grade, and all she could say to me was, ‘Well, you survived, didn’t you?’ She walked away with no remorse, and that’s all she had to say,” Falagan said. “I didn’t hold it against her because she was right. I survived.”

Besides teaching, Falagan took up art as a hobby in her spare time. She describes herself as an etcher, painter and ceramist. She channels her emotions into her art, especially when facing adversity, such as when both her parents died of cancer within five years of each other; both died at the age of 47. Although she felt overwhelmed with sadness for a long time, she recovered her spirit when she met her husband, Jose Martin. Eventually, he inspired her to become an art history teacher after coming across one of her works.

“One day, [my husband] came home and there was a painting done, and he said, ‘Where did this come from?’ I said that I did it, and he couldn’t believe that I’m an artist because I never showed my work,” Falagan said. “He said, ‘You have to do something with your talent,’ so I went back to school, and that’s why [I became an art history teacher].”

Falagan previously held regular art classes at Miami Coral Park Senior High, where should would have the opportunity to do community service with her students. In one of her projects, she had her students create puppets based on Shakespeare plays.

“We then present for the Ronald McDonald House families and patients, and South Florida Aids Network, and ‘Safe Space Shelter’ a home for battered women and children.” Falagan said. “I miss doing these types of projects having only AP Art History classes.”

Another way Falagan has given back to the community is by donating her art to charities for silent auctions.

“...My ‘Orchid Giclee’ was sold last year at the silent auction help by the PTSA here at MPSH.” Falagan said.

Through the years, Falagan has also volunteered endless hours doing murals with her students at Baptist Hospital. Her mural is located in the pediatric cancer treatment office in the Medical Arts building.

Falagan took her first teaching job as an AP Art History and AP Studio teacher at Coral Park in 1993 and went on to win teacher of the year in 1999, only six years after first becoming a teacher. Eventually, in

2003, Falagan switched schools and came to Palmetto, where she has now taught for 17 years, strictly as an AP Art History teacher. Falagan quickly became popular upon her arrival and befriended several students and teachers, including AP United States History teacher Silvio Vargas, with whom she has become close to.

“When I came to this school, she was the first person to take me under her wing,” Vargas said. “It’s not easy going to a new school to teach at a new school, but she was the first person that welcomed me to Palmetto, the first person that took me under her wing, the first person that made it comfortable for me to socialize with other people here, and I will never forget that about her.”

After all her years teaching, Falagan believes the best part of her job is interacting with her students on a daily basis.

“I have talented kids that are very bright, and I learn from my kids everyday,” Falagan said. “I don’t have any point of getting out of bed every day unless I learn something from you guys, and I do.”

Falagan’s love for her students is not one-sided, as she is beloved by both current students and Palmetto alumni. Falagan still keeps in touch with plenty of her former

students who have gone on to travel the world and seen some of their favorite art pieces.

“A day doesn’t go by that I don’t get an email or a Facebook comment or a phone call or a text from a student from the past telling me, ‘I’m in Paris;’ ‘I’m in front of the Nike of Samothrace;’ ‘I’m in Athens;’ ‘I’m in Rome;’ ‘I’m in the Colosseum;’ After 27 years, it’s going to happen,” Falagan said. “Every single day doesn’t go by that I don’t get something from a student from the past. That in itself is such a joy. I don’t get compensated [much] monetarily, but I get compensated spiritually.”

Falagan has encountered several obstacles in her life, but she never gave up. To this day, she believes that these tough times made her the person she is today, and she would not change that for anything.

“My life is so perfect. I am where I am because of everything that has happened,” Falagan said. “I am fine with students forgetting me, as long as they don’t forget what I taught them and pay it forward.” Sofia Vinueza Multimedia Editor s.vinueza.thepanther@gmail.com Jack Meyer News Editor j.meyer.thepanther@gmail.com

letter from the editors

Dear Palmetto,

We hope you love “Faces of Palmetto” as much as we loved creating it. We recognize how special the Palmetto community is, and our staff worked diligently over the past couple of months to show that to you.

Palmetto has changed significantly. The new building is open, and the old buildings are quickly coming down. While our physical surroundings transform around us by the minute, we are lucky enough to find ourselves surrounded by the most inspiring people that continue to do amazing things for their community, overcome incredible obstacles, and motivate those around them.

To the seniors featured in “Faces of Palmetto,” thank you for dedicating your time to our school and our community. Your impact is incredible, and though we will miss you next year, we know that you will continue to be a positive influence wherever you go.

Unfortunately, we can only feature a certain number of “Faces of Palmetto” stories each year, but if we could, we would write a hundred more. Thankfully, we plan to continue the tradition of “Faces of Palmetto” far into the future.

Thank you all for reading this year’s “Faces of Palmetto” issue and for learning about the students, alumni and faculty that make Palmetto so extraordinary. We, the editors of The Panther, are incredibly proud to share it with you.

Love, Allison Strasius, Nicole Markus and Joanna Salvat

The Panther staff aims to inform fellow students and parents about schoolwide, local, national, and international news. The Panther ’s content aims to represent the student body. Editorials feature the opinions of staffers. Features of other students, teachers and clubs further promote the spirit, culture and personality of Miami Palmetto Senior High School. MISSION STATEMENT EDITORIAL POLICY

The Panther is a monthly publication of Miami Palmetto Senior High located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street Miami, FL 33156, (305) 235-1360 ext. 2337. The views expressed are solely those of The Panther staff. Students who wish to respond to an article in this publication or discuss another issue may write letters to the editor and submit them to room 980 or e-mail us at n.markus.thepanther@gmail.com. The Panther has professional membership in NSPA and CSPA. The Panther prints 1,400 copies per issue for distribution. The Panther is distributed for free to all students in school. Please visit our paper online at thepalmettopanther.com. BYLINE POLICY: All creative work (such as illustrations, graphics, photos and writing) excluding staff editorials and staff member pictures will include byline credits.

ADVERTISING POLICY: Ads will be designed by the advertiser and include all information the advertiser wants included. If the advertiser asks the staff to design the ad, the individual who sold the ad will design the ad or the Ads Manager will. Ads will be approved by EICs, the Advisor and the Ads Manager. If an ad produced is illegible, contains false information, or the advertiser does not like it, they will receive a free ad in the next issue. If you would like to advertise, please contact us. CORRECTION POLICY: Any errors in print will be acknowledged in the next print issue in a correction box. Any errors online will be acknowledged immediately. Errors include facts, figures, misquoting and name misspellings. The School Board shall comply with all Federal Laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and all requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. The Board will enforce its prohibition against discrimination/harassment based on sex, race, color, ethnic, or national origin, religion, marital status, disability, age, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender identification, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy and any other basis prohibited by law. The Board shall maintain an educational and work environment free from all forms of discrimination/harassment, which includes Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct such as unwelcome touching, graphic verbal comments, sexual jokes, slurs, gestures or pictures. All students, administrators, teachers, staff, and all other school personnel share responsibility for avoiding, discouraging, and reporting any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment against students by employees, other students and their parents or guardians, or third parties. This policy prohibits discrimination and harassment at all School District operations, programs, and activities on school property, or at another location if it occurs during an activity sponsored by the Board. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Editor-In-Chief Allison Strasius Online Editor-In-Chief Joanna Salvat Managing Editor Jane Heise Senior Copy Editor Isabel Wilder Senior Design Editor

Gemma Torras STAFf Print Editor-In-Chief

Nicole Markus

Advertising Chair Olivia Solomon Feature Editor Lissette Martinez News Editor Jack Meyer Sports Editor Valentina Caceres

Life Editor Kristine Villarroel Opinion Editor Allison Gould Valentina Caceres Multimedia Team Jacob Grindstaff Staff Writers Camilla Bondy Elias Arbe

Adviser Laura Aviles Copy Team Priscilla Bermudez Katriona Page

Kate Stuzin Design Team Julia Strasius Gianna Hutton Sydney Campbell Sofia Vinueza Ana Martinez

Kun Liu Zaviera Presley

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