Aurora Lucas

Translator Tagalog <> English

“What motivates me to be a part of Respond is knowing that to speak Tagalog and other fellow Filipinos means to find instant connection. I'm proud of how I have grown from being ashamed of my language to being proud of it now.”

Aurora Lucas is an ESL and Special Education teacher from grades K-12 as well as adults. She’s also a professional student, and says she is never done with school work. Aurora is currently pursuing her doctorate in Leadership and Special Education.

As part of the Respond team, Aurora translates Tagalog to English, and shares, “Tagalog is only one of the languages in the Philippines. There are actually around 180 languages in the Philippines.”

When asked what motivates her to be part of Respond, Aurora tells us, “My language, Tagalog, is something I hold dear to my heart. I am a part of the Filipino diaspora, and my family left the motherland in order to give their future generations a better education and to have greater access to things in life. My mom let me speak English at school but only Tagalog at home, and I used to hold resentment for it when I was younger, but now I look back and I am so thankful she did that. What motivates me to be a part of Respond is knowing that to speak Tagalog and other fellow Filipinos means to find instant connection.”

We asked Aurora how she cares for her mental health doing this work, “I have been seeking therapy for a few years now, and sometimes it has been on and off. I’m back to therapy and I am so thankful to have chosen to continue healing. Grateful to have access to mental health resources. The part of this work that is the most challenging for my mental health would be.” Aurora says.

Aurora’s favorite word in any language is, “Die Wanderlust.”