Email: millanac@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

My name is Alma Carolina Millán Buenavista. Like many of you, I have a very long name. To make things simple, just call me Ms. Millán. I am so happy to have you in my ESL class this year! Another thing that I have in common with all of you is that I did not learn English as my first language and I also attended high school here in Wisconsin. My high school years were a very happy and exciting time in which I learned many things and made many discoveries, therefore, I thought that I would share some things about my life when I was in high school.

When I was in high school . . .
I went to a school in Glendale, Wisconsin called Nicolet High School.

I loved going to school and learning.

I lived with my father, mother, two sisters Toni and Marcelle, a brother Marc and a black cat named Noche. My family came from the Philippines.

My favorite classes were chorus and band. Music was a very big part of my life.

I played the piano. Sometimes I could practice five hours without stopping.

I was very good at math, but I was very bad at spelling.

When I started high school, I had already been in the USA for eight years. However, I made mistakes in English that Americans would never make.

I loved to listen to music. My favorite musical groups were the Police and the Rolling Stones. My favorite classical composers were Frederic Chopin, Isaac Albéniz and George Gershwin. I also loved to listen to Swing music. My favorites were Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald.

I was very shy, but I was not afraid to talk if I felt I needed to say something important.

I enjoyed reading. My favorite play was Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I also loved Greek Mythology, The Odyssey, Anna Karenina, The Count of Monte Cristo, To Kill a Mockingbird, and many others. Perhaps my all time favorite book is “The Little Prince,” which I have continued to read every year for the last forty years. The metaphors are so rich that I find new interpretations and insight as I gain more life experience.

When I was in 9th grade, the movies Grease and Superman were very popular. I loved these two movies!

However, what I loved more was watching old movies with my dad. Some of our favorites were Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and The Mark of Zorro.

My favorite movie stars were Meryl Streep, Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, and Sophia Loren.

I had two jobs outside of home. I babysat for my neighbors’ small children and I worked at my Dad’s clinic.