The Timid Author

Mrs. Somare enjoying some time with her diverse class. (Photo by Maria Fernanda Flores)

      Our job was to sit down and get to know the new secondary counselor, Carola Somare, and try to dig up any juicy secrets or jaw dropping stories. To our surprise, the counselor was not a wild extrovert as we expected but a sweet and timid lady drenched in soul.  The few minutes we had to spend with Mrs. Somare was just enough time for her to open up and warm our hearts with her kind stories and responses.

     Mrs. Somare’s life journey began in Argentina, her birthplace, continued in Cochabamba, where she resided for many years, and is currently in Santa Cruz. While in Cochabamba, she worked as an ESL aid at the Cochabamba Cooperative School. Later on, she worked as a kindergarten teacher and a Monterey specialist (helping students delayed in Math and Reading comprehension) at the AIS/B school. She is presently working at SCCS, which she believes is the best school in Santa Cruz, and the biggest and most technologically advanced out of the other schools where she has worked at.

     What makes Mrs. Somare such a sentimental and kind person? Her love towards her family would be the answer to that question. She has seven children and dedicates all the time she can to raising them well. Her mother is the person she most looks up to. Even while fighting cancer, Mrs. Somare's mom would still shine her big and tender smile and brighten up the day: "It was a big battle that she fought with a smile on her face, but she is no longer with me."

     When we asked the timid staff member to surprise us by revealing something unusual about herself, she leaked that she had been an author for quite some time now. With her expertise as a psychologist she has written and published nineteen books so far in English and Spanish, and is currently working on more inspiring literature. Her writing is usually on psychological topics such as personal development, eating disorders, bullying, questions and answers, and other topics like biblical verses.

     As the counselor, Mrs. Somare mostly works with middle schoolers by assisting them in creating psychological stability to succeed in school and life. She likes to focus on student's confidence and their moral values to create a loving and respectful relationship between their classmates and parents: "When we build self-esteem and confidence in our students, there is nothing they can't reach," states Mrs. Somare. Although some people might find teaching children exhausting, she enjoys every second of it. The key to teaching children lies in patience, love, and tenderness towards the students in her opinion. What is the difference between teaching her children and teaching her students? She believes that since she expects more from her children, she is tougher on them than with her students, who she tends to be more flexible with.

  It is truly an honor to count with the services of such an inspiring person as Mrs. Somare. Her main goals are to help out each and every one of students at the best of her ability and that makes us extremely grateful. Thanks to this new member, our SCCS family can now grow closer and fonder with her help. We hope that Mrs. Somare makes a great of an impact on each and every one of you, as she did on us; also, we hope that she remains a part of our school for many years to come!

-Maria Fernanda Flores