As you walk into the foreign language hallway of Valparaiso High School, you might run into a familiar face. Whether it's leading VHS's Speech and Debate team to success or organizing fundraisers for the homeless, Chriselle Waters is always the guiding force.
Waters is currently a Spanish teacher at VHS. Her initial interest in Spanish was sparked when she was in high school. She would constantly hear about her eccentric Great Aunt's, who taught French at Valparaiso University, exciting adventures. Waters was inspired by her travels around the world and decided that was the path she wanted to go in. She moved from Idaho to Indiana and pursued a degree in Spanish at Valparaiso University. Waters completed her masters in Spain and stayed there for 9 years. When she came back to the United States, she taught in Idaho and then moved to Indiana and taught at Andean and VHS.
"When I went to Spain I instantly fell in love with the culture. I was only supposed to be there for 9 months but that resulted into 9 years," Waters said.
Waters is able to take her passion for the Spanish culture and give it back to our community. When she was in the midst of getting her degree, she took a class at VU which entailed discussing the unique and specific problems teachers face with their students. One group in the class did a heart-felt and amazing presentation about homelessness at the local level, which left the room in tears. This inspired Waters to take a stand and do something about this universal problem. Waters was one of the masterminds behind fundraiser the Annual Don Quijote Benefit for the homeless. It has gone from making $2,000 20 years ago to over $20,000.
"I think part of learning the language is living the culture. A big part of the Spanish culture is giving back to the community. That's the main reason I got involved with Spanish club and other activities which make an effort to give back. Not many people are aware of some of the underlying problems people in our community face, especially poverty," Waters said.
That's not all! Waters has also been the head coach of VHS's Speech and Debate team. She was inspired to be a debate coach because of her daughter's experience with the organization. They were looking for a coach, and the previous head coach thought she'd be a good fit for the position. Waters emphasized the different life skills the organization teaches students, such as punctuality, speaking skills, team work, learning how to win or lose graciously, and the list continues on. Waters admits that it is a very time consuming job, but she says that the end result is the most gratifying feeling one could experience.
"One of my favorite parts about Speech and Debate is meeting the novices at the beginning of every year. They're usually very anxious but full of excitement and energy. I love to see them compete and grow throughout their high school career. It's amazing to see how a student can evolve in their abilities and character," Waters grinned.
In my three years of knowing Waters, I've had the opportunity to witness a plethora of times in which she has touched the lives of hundreds, including mine. From the classroom to the community, Waters has always found a way to give back, making her an exceptional example of a Valpo Life in the Spotlight.