High School Stories: The Star.

As a teacher, one of my greatest satisfactions is knowing that my students achieve their dreams. I have always told them, no matter what their dream is, everything is possible. Many of them have achieved it, I have doctors, reporters, engineers, lawyers, politicians and a shining star. He's, of course, my favorite star, and it fills me with immense pride because, despite everything, it's still basically the same person who came out of our classrooms in 2001 and that's why he's the protagonist of my High School history.

In September 1996 our school opened its doors. Among the new second-year high school students was this small boy, very curly and short haired. I remember he was so small with respect to his group that we fondly called himMiguelito, he was so nice, that soon he made a lot of friends and won the love of his teacher. He was very good in sports, too. I must confess that I do not remember exactly when I found out that Miguelito had a great talent for music too. But in a school that just started, with relatively few students, in reality we were all in the early years as a large family and I guess that helped both Miguelito and the other teens who studied at the school for that time to establish a great connection with our school that, in many cases, still exists.

What I remember as her coordinator in those years, is that he was an average student, who was not very interested in sciences but, as he himself stated years later, learned a lot from the hand of his professors of Literature, like my friend @chretien. That would serve him for one of his most outstanding facets: he is an excellent speaker, writer and communicator. During that adolescence elapsed in a normal way, he wrote his first songs, he fell in love in school, his heart broken, he rebuilt it, he made many friendships that he still conserves and he set up for the first time on stage in a formal way.

Being in 10th year, the "La Voz Lourdista" singing contest was held (in honor of the Virgin of Lourdes, the patron saint of the school), it was impressive to see the vocal quality achieved by Miguelito for that then about 15 years old. Of course, he won the contest. The winner had to go to represent our school in "La VozLiceísta". There he obtained the second place. I, who was there, attributed him not having won the kind of music of the aforementioned contest: llanera music, which was not his favorite. In fact the music coordinator has always commented that it cost a lot to find a song that was completely to your liking for that competition.

Miguel graduated from high school in our school, and the following year he willingly participated, at the request of our then Director, in a recording made by several students and alumni, of the national anthems, of the state Anzoátegui and the school. Several times after graduating he visited our school. His last visit to the school was in 2007. At that time he already sang in a youth group called CalleCiega, as on previous occasions, we received him with another ex-student in our office, we talked and even let him play futsal for a while in the court with the students. When I had a good time in the school, it was necessary to close the access to the administrative area of the school, because the girls of the school had learned of their presence and were like crazy. Although I did not listen to the kind of music that I was singing at that time, at that moment I knew that my beloved alumnus was nothing more and nothing less than a star

Since then I have followed his footsteps a bit more closely, and they have always been upwards! I had the chance to find it by chance several times, when I could still come to this city. And I know that every time he participates in a presentation, initially with CalleCiega or as part of the Chinese and Nacho duo, if he knew of the presence of someone from his school, he referred to him. The last time I saw him sing live was in 2011, when Chino was the big surprise at a 15-year-old party of a school girl. There were some of his teachers. When they came on stage, the guests shouted in rage. The quinceañera was enthralled, especially with the taller and more handsome of the two, Chino. I stayed behind to watch the concert calmly, without being shouted in my ear.

As only happens in movies, the star immediately recognized me. With a fit of laughter he pointed to me and said "go, Leila", I laughed and danced. After all, at that moment the truth is that, of the two, the favorite of most of the girls was Chinese. Then he realized that there was his director, his counselor, and of course, me. Then he said "how nice it is to be, among people so dear" and added a beautiful thank you to his school, noting that if it were not for us, it would not be there. It was one of those moments in which, as an educator, you understand that it is in those details where the reward is for having helped to educate and grow, to each of your students.

Another special moment occurred in Latin Grammy afterparty. There were Chino, Nacho, Jean Franco and Paul, the last three graduated together. According to one of them, after winning the Latin Grammy, the celebration was so good that they commented that they had not had so much fun since their graduation party. They added that the only thing missing was Lula (the Director) and Leilany. The anecdote was funny to me, especially considering that I could not be at their graduation party! However, it moved me being reminded that day, so important for his career.

In a personal evolution process of his way of thinking, the now called Nacho decided to assume a political position with respect to our country. And even if that means that, for the moment, I won't find him somewhere in Puerto La Cruz, it makes me feel much more proud of him. Now he is one of the most popular and beloved singers in Venezuela, and the success he has is as great as his talent and his desire to continue working.