Being a teacher means engaging your students in the world of learning. For Spanish teacher Enedy Robles, it means more than that.

Robles strives everyday to empower her students and let them know that they are worth something, that they can make it. With her strong student connections and radiant personality, she earned the ‘Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year’ award for the second time in a row.

The Diversity Educator of the Year award stemmed off a woman named Ida Baker. She was the first black woman to become a principal in her school district, who later became superintendent for the Department of Florida Education. She was a role model and an advocate for minority students. After her death, an award was created in her honor to recognizes the teachers who make it a priority to meet the needs of minority students.

“It was very special to me,” Robles said.

Every year, Robinson’s teachers vote on who they think is deserving of the following awards: Teacher of the Year and Diversity Educator of the Year. Being voted by her work colleagues was a honor.

“She goes above and beyond, she inspires me because she creates a good sense of family culture and school culture here at Robinson,” Spanish 2 teacher Siara Espejo said.

Robles did many honorable acts to win this award. For instance, she is the main face that plans Hispanic Heritage month around our school.

“I didn’t do anything on purpose, I do it naturally, I’m always involved with my students, especially in Hispanic Heritage month where we work hard while my students display their activities, we have so much fun school wise,” Robles said.

The extra hand that Robles provides to her students is one of the reasons she is deserving of this award.

“It means a lot to me, it means that my students feel comfortable and it means that I’m doing what a teacher has to do, make them feel good and tell them that they can do it, some do it slower and some do it faster, either way⁠— I know they’re going to make it,” Robles said.

Students also feel that the care and support she gives is unmatched.

“She’s always there for us, I, myself, have experienced the love she is willing to give,” Eilyn Garcia (’21) said.