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U.S., CMSU Give Solano New Home and Career
Life for Manuel Solano and
his family changed abruptly in
2000 amid threats of kidnapping
and ransom. Such violence was
all too common where they lived
in Bogota City, Colombia, where
his brother-in-law was kidnapped
and murdered and his father-inlaw
paid extortion to keep his
family safe.
When ransom demands
were made of Solano, he fled
Colombia and moved his family
to the U.S. rather than expose
them to the potential for violence
and death.
With little time to prepare,
Solano, an established psychiatrist
in his own country, came to
the Kansas City area, where his
brother was an oral surgeon. He
had to start over.
Solano never expected to find
himself back in college; however,
becoming a student was the only
way he could obtain the visa he
needed to stay in the U.S.
After completing a master’s
degree in computer science at
Central’s Summit Center in Lee’s
Summit, he now has found
a career as an educator in the
Kansas City, MO, school district.
It is a role he never expected to
play, but one he relishes daily.
Solano began his studies
at the University of Missouri-
Kansas City while tutoring UMKC
students in mathematics. That
job expanded into working with
summer tutoring programs with
the Kansas City school district. He
completed a bachelor’s degree in
Manuel Solano ’05 helps Spanish-speaking adults such as Lilia Medina, left, and Sara Torres,
right, learn to use the Internet. The women have children in the Kansas City school district.
information technology in time
to see the job market slow down
for graduates in his field. But
he soon was offered a job, with
provisional certification, teaching
math in the school district
— until they saw his resumé.
“With my background as a
physician, they told me they
needed me worse as a science
teacher,” he said. Solano began
seeking a campus where he
could complete the coursework
necessary to obtain Missouri
teaching certification. Central’s
Summit Center was convenient
and had the courses he needed.
He began teaching science
at Northeast Middle School in
Kansas City, where his language
skills came to the attention of
the school’s English as a Second
Language coordinator. He then
became a resource teacher,
explaining science to small groups
of “neo-American” students in
sheltered classes.
“These are students who
have limited or no English
skills,” he explained. Solano
added that some students in the
program come from countries
where they have had little or no
formal education. One student
entered the program without an
understanding of the concept of
an alphabet.
“In the sheltered classroom,
we modify the curriculum for
students with limited language
skills so they can learn at grade
level,” he explained.
Alicia Miguel, director of
the district’s ESL program,
noticed Solano’s dedication and
enthusiasm, as well as his skill
at helping other teachers who
were teaching ESL students.
She hired him as one of two
ESL instructional coaches for
the district. This fall he began
providing support for core subject
teachers by modeling methods
of instruction that allow them
to reach non-English speaking
students.
Solano feels life is good for his
family in the United States. They
are safe, and his wife, a registered
nurse, has completed certification
requirements. She is working as
a cardiac specialty nurse at the
University of Kansas Medical
Center. His daughter graduated
from community college last
spring, and his son is doing well
in high school. The family soon
will return to a level of financial
security similar to what they had
in Colombia.
Solano is not sure where his
career will take him, but he knows
he likes what he is doing.
“I’ve always been a teacher;
I taught in medical school in
Colombia. But now I’m giving
back,” Solano said. “When I
came here, I was totally lost. At
one point I was about to give up
because of the language barrier. I
know what that’s like, and I like
the fact that I can help someone
else bridge that gap.”
— Mike Greife ’74
Using simple techniques to teach the Spanish words for nose and mouth, Manuel Solano demonstrates methods for communicating across cultural barriers.
page 24 central today
winter 2005