Rene Garcia Hialeah Miami-Dade County Commissioner
“For me, the first day of school was always very exciting,” Rene Garcia said. “I wasn’t the best student, but I always went to school. I liked to talk a lot.
“The moment that stands out is that first day jitters of going in and trying to figure out what homeroom you were in.
“Back then you had to read it and figure it out, then see what friends you had in the classroom and see your friends who you haven’t seen during the summer and that was always a special moment,” he said.
Ricardo Cividanes Palmetto Bay. MPS Credit Union Community & Business Development Specialist
“This is back in the 70s, I lived about a quarter mile from the school,” Ricardo Cividanes said. “We had a large collie. [He] used to walk with us to the crosswalk and would wait until we entered the school and would walk back home.
“And [he] would be back at 2 p.m. when school would let out," he said. "He did it every day. His name was Tupan.”
Lizette Lantigua Southwest Ranches Author, President Good News! Book Fair
“My parents are Cuban exiles, so my first language was Spanish, and I remember how difficult it was going into Kindergarten,” Lizette Lantigua said. “I remember how difficult it was to learn [English] in Kindergarten.
“In first grade I had a wonderful teacher, and she was a wonderful mentor.
“I love English [because of her] and it wasn’t just learning it but loving it,” she said.
Kay Grant Pembroke Pines Town of Miami Lakes CFO/Finance Director
Kay Grant grew up in Jamaica and her family would travel to Miami to shop for school.
“I loved my crayons and markers in all different colors because back in Jamaica, we had one standard color,” Kay Grant said. “The erasers on the pencil had all different shapes, I remember that being one of the best things for me.
“I had new fancy shoes and socks from America, and it was all brand new,” she said.
Jim Hamilton Miami Lakes Semi-retired Board Member, Miami Lakes Optimist Park
“I remember because my grandparents drove us to school on our first day, only the first day, but that was huge because we didn’t have a car,” Jim Hamilton said. “So that was a special day.
“We had new clothes and I still remember that, and I think of that still.
“It was a huge four-door Chrysler sedan,” Hamilton said.