Lapuente Profile - Lakeview Elementary

I have met many of you during our work together with your wonderful kids last year, but here are a few extra bits of information I believe you might like to know about me.

I am a native of Madrid (Spain) and I have been in the U.S. for the last 14 years. I have been living in Kirkland since 1997, and I consider this area my home. I have been married for 13 years and I have two wonderful boys. Miguel is in seventh grade at Rose Hill Jr. High and Mario is in fifth grade at Mark Twain Elementary.

I was raised in Spain where my parents were the best example of how to be a good person and enjoy the very simple things in life. I have two older sisters; one lives in Spain and the other lives in Kirkland. I attended school in Madrid and completed my college education in Valencia, by the Mediterranean coast of Spain. I have always enjoyed two month vacations with my family in the summer by the beach and thanks to those opportunities I became fluent in French when I was very young. Because I moved to Valencia to go to college, I learned another language spoken in Spain called Catalan (I even taught it). During my high school and college years I had many different kinds of jobs: nanny, restaurant dish washer, ironed clothes, sold suitcases and handbags, and tutored kids in different languages. I graduated from the University of Valencia in psychology and then entered the educational psychology masters program at the same university. While I was a very average student during all my school years (I’ve struggled with math and physics), in high school I received an award for being the best student in that Masters Program! I was awarded some money which was immediately spent on a trip to visit my sister in London. I started working as a psychologist in Spain. Most of my clients were parents and their very young kids. I used to do home visits and move around the city on my motorcycle.

When I was 30 years old, I came to the States to visit my sister (the same sister who was in London) and I met a fabulous and great guy (now my husband Nelson). I decided to move to the United States and start my family here. So I had to start learning English and I knew it was going to take some time. So in the mean time, I had two boys and we all learned the language together. I went back to school to get another Masters in Education, this time in school counseling. It was a challenge. I learned to speak English in my thirties and then learned to write it in my forties. So if I make a few mistakes, I usually forgive myself very easily. In the spring of 2006, I received my dream job here at Lakeview Elementary. I love everything here: the community, the kids, my co-workers and all my ongoing and future projects. I was twice as lucky when they asked me to return this year as well.

When I’m not working, I like cooking for family and good friends, photographing flowers or people I love, talking on the phone with my sisters and parents, and watching Survivor and The Amazing Race with my kids and husband. I love to travel in the summer and I always have a few home improvement projects in mind.

If you see me around the neighborhood, please stop and say hi, otherwise see you all at school.

Concha Lapuente
Guidance Counselor

Profile

Related Links