Juan Barrera, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) licensed practical nurse for the United States Army, spoke to Spanish students on Jan. 28 about his experiences as a bilingual nurse.

“I know a lot of students want to be nurses or doctors so I thought it’d be a good idea to have someone speak to the students about what it’s like to be able to speak two languages in a position like that and who’s also from the community,” said Spanish teacher Laura Keeble.

Barrera talked about his stories of nursing in different countries and how life was back home in Mexico to give students a feel of how different life is in the United States.

“I like Hawaii better than Mexico. In Mexico, I lived on a mountain in the country, so when I got hurt, my mother would have to use herbal remedies on me. Here in Hawaii, where I live in the city, I can go to a real doctor and get treated. I like the food in Mexico better though,” said Barrera.

The Spanish classes have been learning about well-being, remedies and illnesses, which tie in with Barrera’s talk.

Spanish teachers have had speakers in every class this year. Speaker availability and what is being taught in the curriculum determine the invitations to community resources.

“I try to get my Spanish-speaking friends to speak to the students every year and talk about how knowing another language has helped them with their job,” said Keeble.

The next speaker will be on Feb. 5 from Legacy of Life, a non-profit organ and tissue transplant company. The speaker will talk to students about what it’s like to be a bilingual person living in Hawaii in the medical field.