It was a sunny afternoon as Overton High School’s Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) festival kicked off following the HHM program. In the midst of students buying food and vendors setting up, a group of students stood out in bright blue shirts – members of Overton’s Bilingual Leadership Association (BLA).
The BLA plays a vital role at Overton, supporting school events such as parent-teacher conferences and open houses. During these events, members assist Spanish-speaking parents navigate the building and eliminate language barriers. Students earn service hours toward graduation and extracurricular requirements, and seniors can pursue a Seal of Biliteracy by taking the qualifying test. BLA members also support newcomer students by helping them learn the school layout, understand their schedules, and receive tutoring if needed.
Spanish teacher and boys’ soccer coach Jose Franco serves as the BLA sponsor. Before joining Overton in 2020, he taught at his alma mater, Ridgeway High School. Franco was inspired to become a teacher by his former Spanish teacher, Mr. Gonzalez.
Spanish teacher and boys’ soccer coach Jose Franco serves as the BLA sponsor.“He [Mr. Gonzalez] was from East LA, so he understood the journey of coming to America and not knowing English,” Franco explains. East LA is the largest Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles with a majority of the population identifying as Hispanic. At Ridgeway, Franco was welcomed warmly as former teachers became colleagues. “They gave me a lot of confidence as a new teacher.”
Born and raised in Mexico, Franco recalls how difficult learning English was when he arrived. “I was struggling every day because of English,” he says about his difficulties in middle school. “It wasn’t until my junior and senior years that I knew more English.” Today, he strives to foster a positive learning environment where students feel confident to be themselves while strengthening their Spanish-speaking skills.
Connected through school, community, and faith, Paulina and Christian have left a lasting impact at Overton High School through their leadership in the Bilingual Leadership Association.
Paulina M., BLA President
Paulina M., a senior, serves as the BLA president. Drawn to Overton for its orchestra program, she has found both community and purpose as she prepares for graduation. Her plans after graduation? To become a nurse.
Paulina is Overton’s Bilingual Leadership Association president.“Since I am bilingual, I will be able to help people within the community as a nurse,” she says. In-person medical interpretation is essential for non-English speakers, as language barriers can lead to a misdiagnosis. Paulina knows this firsthand. “Growing up, my parents would always have medical conditions,” she explains. Often, she had to translate for them when no interpreter was available – a struggle bilingual children face from an early age.
Aside from her involvement in BLA, Paulina is active in the National Honor Society (NHS), Key Club, DECA, Student Government Association (SGA), and REACH Memphis. She also participates in dance, serves in her church choir, and volunteers in her community. At REACH Memphis, she sits on the student executive board, helping plan and organize events that support student post-secondary success.
Christian V., BLA Vice President
Christian, a senior, has attended Overton since his freshman year, having moved to Memphis from Meridian, Florida, in the seventh grade. “There wasn’t a [large] Hispanic population, but it was a small community so you knew everyone,” he says about the differences between both cities.
Christian joined BLA during his sophomore year, becoming one of its founding members alongside Paulina. Christian joined BLA during his sophomore year, becoming one of its founding members alongside Paulina. “Being able to be part of this club and actually helping other people, it feels like I have a purpose,” Christian says. He is also the vice president of NHS, DECA, and Key Club, in addition to being an active SGA member.
Like many bilingual students, Christian frequently interprets for his family. “They really depend on me to translate. I’ve gone on five-hour road trips just to translate because they don't have anyone else to depend on.” Helping his family and community continues to fuel his motivation to serve.
This winter break, Christian will travel to Guatemala for the first trip to visit his extended family. Christian, admittedly, is nervous about his trip because most of his family speaks Mam – a Mayan language spoken by half a million people in Guatemala. Since Mam is not widely spoken in Memphis as Spanish, he has had limited opportunities to practice it. Still, he is excited to meet his grandparents for the first time and reconnect with his cultural heritage.
This year, Overton’s Bilingual Leadership Association had 32 members, compared to last year’s 15 members. When the organization was founded, membership was limited to fully fluent Spanish speakers. Today, students of varying fluency levels are encouraged to join. To prevent misinterpretations during events, non-fluent members are paired with fluent members. The approach supports accuracy while promoting cultural revitalization through language learning.
Mr. Franco hopes that other schools with a significant Hispanic population will create their own Bilingual Leadership Associations. “It’s rewarding because that’s an experience they can use later in life,” he says. Paulina hopes that BLA continues to be “a safe space for others,” while Christian adds, “once one person starts something, it can create a chain effect.”
As bilingual education expands across MSCS, possibilities continue to grow. The World Languages Department also offers classes in French, Latin, German, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.
This story launches a new written series titled Bilingualism at MSCS, as Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) highlights the importance of bilingual education. MSCS is committed to creating an environment where students’ experiences grow through language acquisition.
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