Welcome to our first episode in Spanish! Otilio Ruiz is at the forefront of connecting whole-child learning with language immersion education. Originally from the state of Veracruz, Mexico, Maestro Ruiz studied both music and education. Arriving in Albuquerque as a musician, his gifts for teaching were soon recognized, and he has since graced cultural and educational spaces with his musical talents and his love of teaching in the Spanish language. He speaks of his family legacy of learning that continues to inform and guide his teaching practices, and shares the key moments of working with youth that brought his musical and teaching careers together. His mother’s wise words that, “You cannot love something you do not know” inspired songs and classroom inquiries that have more deeply connected countless students to our wonderful and unique state of New Mexico.