From First Gen Spanish Speaking Grad to Teacher/Leader in Houston to Global Ed Tech at HP: Meet Bertha "Betty" Garcia-Hill

Betty Garcia-Hill followed in her parent's footsteps and became a teacher and role model for students under-represented in our education system. In her first year as a teacher, she was tasked with teaching a classroom where most educators walked out. Yet like the warrior she is, Betty conquered the classroom full of students and gave them someone to look up to, someone who would mentor and guide them toward a successful future. Now, Betty is a leader for the Worldwide Education Team at HP . However, her success did not come easy. She encountered many roadblocks throughout her career, including not having a mentor to look up to while attending the University of Houston , being made fun of for her accent, and being the ONLY Hispanic scholar in her advanced classes. Nevertheless, Betty strives to mentor and be a leader within her role and inspire generations to come.

What is your personal story?

My story begins with two young college students falling in love and becoming parents at a very young age. Their one-bedroom apartment was only furnished with a card table, a twin-sized bed, and a small table stove. Yet, despite a lack of material possessions, they surrounded me with love and dreams. My father was a farmer in Mexico and a seasonal cotton picker in the US during the summers. He became a first-generation college graduate achieving a teaching degree. Similarly, my mother attained her teaching degree following in her mom's steps, who also graduated as a teacher. Unfortunately, my grandfather, a sugar cane factory worker, forbade my grandmother from ever working.?

My parents bought into the American dream and fearlessly ventured to the US so their two young girls could have a better future. Unfortunately, we didn't speak English. Therefore, my parents had to leave their beloved teaching professions to work blue collared jobs in a paving company and a factory. In the Rio Grande Valley, we were among a large Latino community, so we felt safe and could thrive. Reflecting on that time, I realize my parents did an incredible job providing my sister and me with rich experiences. Due to my naivety, I was unaware of our low socio-economic status. We were always surrounded by love; although money was tight, we always had everything we needed.

After moving to Houston at age 10, I still remember having to translate to school officials for my mom. She was adamant about having me enroll in the highest-performing schools in Houston ISD . However, this high-performing school was not diverse at the time. Classmates surrounded me with extreme privilege, parents with Ivy League education, and lofty homes. My accent and inability to pronounce difficult words were the cause of laughter and jokes. In time, I perfected my English; however, my socio-economic status became clear. I was a poor student with free & reduced lunch. Eventually, I graduated Suma Cume Laude from the? University of Houston ?with my Bachelor's and Master's in Technology Teacher Certification.?

In my adult life, I still have to explain that my legal name?Bertha?is beautiful instead of the joke they think I am telling. I often have to explain why I no longer have an accent, although I was born in another country. And like many other women, I have been underestimated and overlooked for promotions or have been a victim of having others take the credit for my work.

Interestingly, these obstacles never defined me. For every petty remark, someone, a teacher, classmate, or staff member, always saw something special in me. As a result, I came to embrace being different. This built a sense of quiet resilience, grit, and leadership without realizing it.

How did all of this help you become the woman you are today?

I never saw myself as a victim, which has been vital. We all encounter different sets of obstacles in life. I am incredibly grateful for my journey and recognize every one of my experiences helped forge lifelong qualities that have allowed me to thrive in any environment. I want to give my parents much credit for my accomplishments because they taught me valuable lessons that money couldn't buy. Their example showed me hard work, grit, and fearlessness. In addition, they engraved in me a profound love for my creator, authentic love for my neighbor, and love of self. These qualities have allowed me to transcend beyond my skin color and gender and to overcome biases.

Through the power of education, you learned English once your family came to this country and you earned a teaching degree. What attracted you to teaching at Houston ISD and to the profession?

Education is the greatest equalizer! Through the power of education, any immigrant child can dream like me and know that they can become whatever they want to be. I believe in altruism and giving back. The best way I could give back to my Latino community was to serve bilingual students and English Language Learners. I later became a master technology teacher, Campus Educational Technologist, and Instructional Specialist, where I coached teachers to enable better learning outcomes through integrating technology. Finally, my career in? Houston ISD ?ended as a Manager in the Student Assessment department, where I transitioned the 7th largest district to online assessment and strong formative assessment practices. I implemented systematic data-driven instruction that empowered teachers to address student misconceptions throughout the instructional process. This included helping 30+ at-risk schools come out of "improvement required" status and managing a team of over 30 data coaches. Leading the transformation of Houston ISD to a complete online formative assessment was simultaneously one of the most significant challenges and joys of my career, where I was able to impact 215k students.

You are now a leader on the Worldwide Education team at HP . How did your 18-year educator and instructional technologist career prepare you for leadership with HP's products, services, solutions, and overall thinking?

I am and will always be a teacher at heart. But, in time, I have understood how this identity also enables me to be the ideal advocate. I can lean on my decades of experience in the classroom and educational leadership to help HP develop a deep empathy for the realities and challenges of teaching and education. Likewise, my team looks to me to bring insights that drive innovation that meet the real needs of educators globally. Furthermore, my passion has always been to be a voice for teachers and students in marginalized communities. In my current role as a?Global Education Technologist at HP, I have continued my career in education advocacy, promoting blending learning and accelerating digital equity.??

HP's stance on digital equity is one thing that excites me most about my job. HP is committed to accelerating digital equity for 150 million people by 2030 and enabling better learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025. Our focus has been women/girls, historically marginalized communities, people with disabilities, teachers, and education practitioners. I am honored to be on the advisory panel for the? 1 Million Teachers mentoring program. In addition, I support programs like? HP LIFE ?and partnerships like? Girl Rising ?and The Aspen Institute Digital Equity Accelerator.

Digital equity is of utmost importance to me because as we move toward educational models that are increasingly reliant on technology, the digital divide can turn the already existing homework gap into a chasm that will continue to have long-term impacts on instruction and intervention for years to come. Unfortunately, many at-risk students, who were already performing below grade level before the pandemic, are often the same students that need access to devices, digital literacy, or connectivity.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Relentless passion, impeccable work ethic, and unwavering commitment to teachers and students will always be the master key to open doors of opportunity in education. But ultimately, success is not measured by promotions or pay grade. My family and my spirituality are the most important things to me. I invest in things that fill my heart and soul. Being a spiritual person has allowed me to have a clear set of values and principles that I guide myself by. Therefore, I have a clear conscience that I have always done my best. Since age 12, I have had a personal ministry where I give back to the community. I provide Bible studies and time for women to understand the Bible better and to help them navigate their challenges with a spiritual mindset. I have aligned my job and career to match those values.?

Here at HP , I am employed with one of the most just companies in the world. My leaders care about education and digital equity and have allowed me to continue to make a difference with my advocacy. In a nutshell, "You can do anything you set your mind to. Invest where it matters; invest in yourself and your spirituality, and align with your values first. If you do, you will always be happy and have internal peace." That has been the key to my success, long-term happiness, and a profound joy that cannot be extinguished.?

?As a collective group, we have more influence and power to lift one another up.?I?wish I had connected with a network like GlobalMindEd as a young adult. I encourage all young women to join a network like this that connect them with role models, mentors, and internships.?I am proud that my company, HP , sponsors this organization and promotes the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.?I am most grateful to Charles Radman , a board member of GlobalMindEd, who has been my ultimate mentor and champion. His constant advocacy has allowed me to find my voice in a new corporate environment. I look forward to making inspiring connections with amazing people and supporting the next generation of professionals.