Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Ismary Lopez-Guerra is a first-year Spanish teacher. Outside of school, Lopez-Guerra loves to go to the gym, read and spend time with her dog, Egon. Lopez-Guerra has lived in four different countries: Cuba, Brazil, Uruguay and the United States.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

How is being a teacher going for you?
It’s awesome because I love my language. I love literature, and I think being a world language teacher is very important because it gives [students] an opportunity to know another culture. It’s like being an ambassador.

What is something you remember from high school?
In Cuba, there is a lot of indoctrination because of the regime we have there, the dictatorship, so it can be very oppressive, and if you have teachers that understand what is going on and understand your side, it’s a big relief. My teachers were great and a big support. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to work with teenagers.

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?
Dog, 100 percent. I love dogs; they are so kind. I saw a documentary a few days ago—they can even sync your heartbeat with them so they know your emotions. If you’re nervous, they know if you’re anxious.

If you were not a teacher, what would you do?
Architecture, for sure, because I studied architecture history at Havana University. I wrote a neo-gothic thesis on architecture. I love architecture.