This is Yami!
Salem Rotarian Yami Cruz, Assistant Principal at the Bentley Academy Innovation School in Salem, gave her classification speech today and shared both personal and professional insights on who she is and what made her join Rotary.
With Cuban roots, Yami was born and raised in Miami, moving up to Salem in 2021. Her parents were both born in Cuba. Her mother immigrated to the States as a teen, and her father immigrated after his detainment as a political prisoner for 18 years. She and her mom have been back to Cuba, but it is a difficult place to visit.
Yami grew up in a section of Miami known as “Little Havana” with two older brothers who are Cuban-Lebanese. She learned “Spanglish” there and was surrounded by rooster art, which honors the area’s Cuban roots and the resilience of its people. (She finds it very fitting that the mascot at Bentley is a rooster!)
Her own family journey began at 17 when she gave birth to her son Leo while still in high school. Leo is now 21 and a student at Bunker Hill Community College. She gave birth to a daughter Michelle at age 21 but sadly lost her to epilepsy when she was only 10. She would have been 17 today.
Yami was the first in her family to be a college graduate, and she did not hold back! She holds a BA in English Education, an MS in Reading Education, and an Ed.S. (CAGS) in Educational Leadership.
Beginning her educational career in Florida, Yami just completed her 15th year in education and her 2nd with the Salem Public Schools. Yami began her Massachusetts career in Chelsea but took the position of a literacy coach at the Collins Middle School when she realized she wanted to live and work in the same community so she could be more involved. She recently completed her first year as Assistant Principal at the Bentley Academy Innovation School, where she initially faced imposter syndrome, but grew in confidence in her position over the year.
Yami shared information on Bentley’s dual language model, which has a goal for students to be bilingual, biliterate, and have a strong cross-cultural understanding. The two-way immersion school educates 50% native English speakers and 50% native Spanish speakers. Subjects are taught in English or Spanish (alternating throughout a year) and at varying ratios to immerse all students in both languages.
Yami has pursued several fellowships since she moved to Massachusetts and has a future goal of becoming a principal. She is considering superintendent someday, but may miss the classroom/school engagement too much!
After sharing her professional journey, Yami shared some fun facts! She met her husband, Camilo, through mutual friends while playing online video games. They dated for seven years and surprised their families and friends when they married in Vegas and told them via video call from Fremont Street in their wedding finery. They honeymooned in Alaska where they were the first in the US to see the Northern Lights among other fun activities and adventures.
Yami is both a skydiver and scuba 
diver and has been a Boston sports fan even before she moved up north! She had several football fans in the room, primarily Jason C., jealous of her two Super Bowl experiences; one against the Seahawks with the Malcolm Butler interception; and the other the 28-3 comeback game against the Falcons.
Yami’s interest in Rotary came from her former superintendent in Chelsea. A Rotarian herself, the superintendent often shared stories of her Rotary experiences on social media. Yami became curious if Salem had a Rotary Club and learned more about it when Dakota sponsored her at a weekly lunch.
Thank you Yami, for your wonderful presentation, and thank you Dakota for bringing Yami into our Club!
