By Ilzydora Hernández
Special to The Texas Catholic
For more than two decades, Marta Muñoz has taught Spanish to hundreds of students at Holy Trinity Catholic School, convinced that learning a second language gives them “an opportunity to go farther.”
A native of Costa Rica, Muñoz moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 1984. She earned her teaching credentials from the University of Dallas in Irving and Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.
“I feel a great passion for teaching,” said Muñoz, a mother of two sons, who joined the Holy Trinity faculty in 1999.
“I find great satisfaction in seeing my students learn and grow both academically and personally,” she added.
Family ties
In her Spanish classes, Muñoz seeks not only to develop her students’ language skills but also to strengthen their connections to the cultural roots they inherited from their parents and grandparents.
For Muñoz, that knowledge “strengthens ties with family members who do not speak English and allows Hispanic children to better understand their roots and traditions.”
Holy Trinity Principal Kaitlyn Aguilar said the assignments Muñoz gives her students often make the entire family part of the learning process.
One of the class’s signature projects, called “Mi Identidad,” or “My Identity,” asks students to speak Spanish with their relatives, learn about their family names, and explore their roots.
Holy Trinity alumnus Luke Herda, who is now in his final year studying biochemistry and theology at the University of Notre Dame, said Muñoz’s class helped him connect with his family, particularly his maternal grandfather.
“Mrs. Muñoz’s class laid the foundation for me,” said Herda, 21, who has Guatemalan and Dominican heritage.
Herda, who now uses Spanish daily, recalled having difficulty communicating with relatives as a child because of his limited Spanish.
“I owe her so much,” he said. “Especially for the motivation and encouragement she gave me to keep speaking Spanish.”
Herda plans to attend law school after completing his undergraduate studies.
Going beyond the basics of Spanish is the guiding principle Muñoz brings to her lesson planning.
Each year, Holy Trinity relies on her to coordinate the school’s celebrations of “Día de los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, on Nov. 2 and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.
“Her legacy will be one of love and faith,” Aguilar said.
Not every student who enters Muñoz’s classroom starts with little knowledge of Spanish.
Some, like Magdalene Hernández, who has Mexican heritage, arrive already speaking Spanish. With Muñoz’s guidance, however, those students develop greater proficiency in reading and writing, as Hernández did.
“Mrs. Muñoz always treated me equally, as a student who was learning,” said Hernández, 22, who is currently part of the Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Through grammar, vocabulary, and advanced literature, she connected me with my roots,” Hernández added.
The success of the students who have learned under Muñoz’s guidance has inspired the entire Holy Trinity Catholic School community. For Aguilar, their achievements reaffirm the school’s commitment to cultivating its students’ heritage with pride and conviction.
“Mrs. Muñoz wants our students to be the best versions of themselves, to grow as Catholics, and to deepen their relationship with God. It is a legacy of excellence,” Aguilar said.
Cutline for featured image: Marta Muñoz, who has taught Spanish at Holy Trinity Catholic School since 1999, stands beside her classroom door. Through her teaching, Muñoz helps students develop Spanish-language skills while deepening their understanding of their cultural heritage and family traditions. (MARÍA OLIVAS/Special Contributor)
