ABOUT IRIS THOMAS GARCIA

My name is Iris V. Thomas Garcia. I was born in the Dominican Republic and am the widow of the late Rev. Lorenzo Thomas, a man dedicated to improving his community through every possible avenue. I am committed to continuing our legacy even after his passing.

 

I am the proud mother of two amazing daughters, Nixa Teague (Antoine) and Lindsey Thomas, and two wonderful grandchildren, Khori Lorenz Blair and Xia Cody. My early years were spent in Puerto Rico (La Isla del Encanto). Due to my father’s job, we moved frequently, which allowed me to meet many relatives on the island, including my paternal grandmother, great-grandparents, and many cousins. My father held an important position in the town we moved to, and my parents traveled the world, spending their leisure time with us, their four children.

 

I began school in Puerto Rico, where I was advanced a grade, allowing me to complete my school years alongside my older brother. I started college in Puerto Rico but moved to Florida before completing my bachelor's degree. I arrived in Florida with no job experience, no knowledge of English, and no connections.

 

My first job was answering phones at Manatee Rural Health Clinic, despite not understanding the callers. I quickly learned to say “Hold On” until the callers came to the clinic to find out who kept putting them on hold. When confronted, I always had a smile, not understanding the unpleasant things they said. My coworkers found this amusing, but the challenges of the job often brought me to tears. However, I persevered.

 

One morning, I received a call from Mary Strong of the Manatee County School Board, Title I Migrant Program. She had been observing me during her visits to the clinic and noticed my improving English. She offered me a job interview at Palmetto Elementary School, assuring me that she had found the perfect job for me. To my surprise, the position was as a tutor for Title I Migrant students in English. Despite my limited English, I accepted the job. Teaching five classes a day to twelve students each, I studied and reviewed lessons nightly, practicing them multiple times daily.

 

Through dedication and perseverance, including religiously practicing my daughter’s weekly spelling words and watching English TV shows like Three’s Company and The Jeffersons, I learned enough English to return to college and complete both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Educational Leadership. My career progressed within the school system, eventually leading to roles as dean of students at Southeast High School and as a teacher for adults at Manatee Technical Institute. I also completed coursework from USF to qualify as a Mental Health Therapist for Centerstone Behavioral Health, alongside Child Protective Services..