David Lhuillier never thought he'd be a teacher. Even with a grandmother and mother who spent their lives in the classroom, he never imagined that's the path he would take for himself. He dreamed of being an architect or using his Russian language skills to live abroad. In fact, he discovered his passion and talent for teaching almost by accident. While earning his master's degree in history, he decided to get his teaching certificate and took part in a program that would allow him to graduate at a quicker pace. His program placed him in a school where he worked directly with a diverse population of Latino, African-American and Native-American students who often came from challenging economic backgrounds. "I found out I really liked the kids a lot and was able to build a real rapport with them," David said. "And I thought, this is what I should have been doing the whole time."

David spent six formative years teaching at a high-needs school in inner-city Dallas and has spent the last four years at Denver Center for International Studies at Montbello -- a school he loves for its unique blend of students from all over the world, as well as a diverse group of students from the United States. His passion for a variety of cultures, interest in learning from his students and his ability to connect his own experience with theirs are big reasons David is able to build trust with kids who come from different ethnic and economic circumstances than his own. "I always tell the kids that my family are immigrants too. No one could say my last name in class," David said. "I want them to know that their background and culture are very important to me."

This year, David is bringing his tremendous skills in building relationships not only to help foster learning in students new to his class, but also to support teachers new to the school. As a New Teacher Ambassador, one of the supporting teacher leader roles in Teacher Leadership & Collaboration (TLC), David provides resources, as well as logistical and social-emotional supports for a team of teachers either new to the profession or new to DPS. This role is critical across DPS as it aims to reduce teacher turnover by fostering an inclusive, supportive environment. In fall 2017, David and a fellow New Teacher Ambassador got to work, welcoming 30 new teachers to the middle and high school campus. 

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