Judith Tellez-Gonzalez ’13 grew up in Emilio Portes Gil, a small town in central Mexico nearly 2,000 miles from The University of Olivet. She first heard of OC when a group of students traveling during the Intensive Learning Term visited the community organization in which Tellez-Gonzalez was serving at in 2003.
Four years later, a scholarship from the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches helped Tellez- Gonzalez officially become a Comet. While her path may have unexpectedly brought her to OC, today, there’s no doubt where Tellez-Gonzalez is meant to be.
“I desired to invest my life, time, energy and talents doing something that would bring glory to God once I graduated from OC and returned to Mexico. I didn´t want to just work to make money for indulgence,” Tellez-Gonzalez said. “Still today, I am in debt with God and all the people He mightily and significantly used to empower me to graduate with a solid faith, a humble soul and intellectually well-prepared to embrace the divine art of doing good to others.”
Today, Tellez-Gonzalez serves as a junior high school and high school supervisor at Harmony School in San Felipe del Progreso, Mexico. The school provides educational opportunities for all students, including children with physical, intellectual and other disabilities. Tellez-Gonzalez assists students with their academic course material, but she also encourages students to develop a Godly character and to reach their personal goals.
“I believe Christian education is the best tool to contribute to the development of a society that honors God,” Tellez-Gonzalez said. “I love to work with my students because I know it is crucial for the next generation to develop a Godly character and acquire a high-quality bilingual education in Spanish and English. It’s also important to help students understand they can make a difference as individuals in their family, community, country and the world.”
Tellez-Gonzalez is passionate about instilling the power of education in her students as her professors and mentors at The University of Olivet once did for her.
“God surrounded me with excellent faculty and staff at OC to fulfill His perfect plan in my life,” said Tellez-Gonzalez. “I am forever grateful to them because I learned something from everyone I encountered. God chose them to be a part of my path so that I could have such exceptional purpose in my own life.”
Recently, Tellez-Gonzalez supported students during their Annual Student Convention. The event consists of competitions in 145 subjects, including music, art, sports, oratory and more. She hopes to continue advancing in the Accelerated Christian Education system to better serve her students, and most importantly, help her students find their greater purpose in life.
Tellez-Gonzalez holds many Bible verses close to her heart, including Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Tellez- Gonzalez says the verse reminds her of her time at The University of Olivet, and now it fuels her commitment to help her own students see hope for their future.
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