Meet our 2nd Grade Teacher Aide– Ms. Orellana

Grace is blessed to have Ms. Orellana on our faculty. She is a senior at Northeastern Illinois University graduating in 2025, majoring in Elementary Education with a Bilingual Endorsement. She has an Associates Degree from Harry S Truman College, and is a Golden Apple Scholar. Ms. Orellana was born in El Salvador and moved to Chicago at the age of seven. As an only child, she always dreamed of becoming a teacher. At a young age, she would sit her great grandpa down in a chair and lecture him. She continued to play “teacher” up until the age of ten.

Ms. Orellana believes that learning occurs in situations that are both meaningful and realistic; when it’s engaging, motivational, and students are able apply what they have learned to real life situations outside of the classroom.

We have some fun facts about Ms. Orellana. She loves to travel, which has led her to visit five different countries. Through travel she enjoys enhancing her knowledge about different cultures around the world, their history and even their foods. Ms. Orellana is a dog person and owns 3 of them! She has two Shih Tzus and one Chihuahua. She was an athlete and played volleyball for about seven years in volleyball clubs and at school. Her hobby is reading. Reading to her is like living a thousand different lives. Lastly, she is a very passionate person, and is determined to accomplish all the goals she has set for herself.