Teaching Together
Spanish teachers Maria and Arturo Beltran laugh together at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth. (NTC/Matt Redden)
It is said that a good teacher will plant seeds of knowledge that bloom forever. With a combined 44 years of teaching at Nolan Catholic High School, Arturo and Maria Beltran not only planted seeds, they have nurtured a forest.
Born in Del Rio, Arturo remembers having a “wonderful childhood.” His father’s role as disciplinarian was balanced by his mother who nurtured their faith by ensuring the children attend Mass and Sunday school.
Maria’s childhood was very different. She describes her early years in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, as “tumultuous.” At 9 years old, she immigrated with her family across the Mexican border to Eagle Pass. She recalled, “My mother’s faith was strong. She taught us very young that God is the center of our lives.”
Maria and Arturo were undergraduate students at Texas State University in San Marcos who met in Spanish class. In addition to their passion for Spanish culture and language, they also discovered a shared love of their Catholic faith.
Maria graduated with a double major in Spanish and psychology in May 1985 followed by a master’s degree in Spanish in 1987. Arturo graduated in December 1985 with aspirations to become an interpreter.
On Sept. 13, the Beltrans will celebrate 40 years of marriage, a milestone they attribute to their “faith in God to guide us the right way,” Maria said. “Our faith has grown in different ways but has taken us to the same place.”
Arturo enlisted in the U.S. Air Force upon graduation and the couple spent three years in Guam where Maria became a substitute special education teacher, a move that “changed her life” and steered her career path toward education.
In 1992, after moving to Fort Worth, Arturo thought about teaching, a career shift he attributes to Maria. “My inspiration was her, with the twist of an arm,” he teased.
After teaching Spanish at a Fort Worth high school for three years, Arturo was hired to teach Spanish
at Nolan in 2001. Maria went to Nolan in 2007 after teaching 11 years at a Fort Worth elementary school, followed by two years at North Crowley Ninth Grade Campus.
Nolan leaders
For nearly two decades, the Beltrans have worked alongside one another, and their partnership has helped students transition from beginner to advanced Spanish classes. “We both care deeply about Spanish, students, and our faith. I think that’s what makes us successful,” she said. “We are very much alike in our interests but have different personalities. It shows in our teaching style.”
The couple’s complementary approach is purposeful. As a Level 1 Spanish teacher, Arturo’s encouraging, fun-loving nature builds up students’ confidence in learning a new language. “I try to mold the freshman kids to get them ready for what she’s going to show them and what her expectations are going to be,” he said.
Maria, who teaches advanced level Spanish, builds on the foundation that Arturo has established.
“Where one ends, the other starts,” she said. “I get them ready for what’s coming in college and focus on skills that will make them succeed in life and their faith — responsibility, honor, and honesty.”
Geoffrey Calvin, Latin teacher and modern and classical languages chair, has been teaching alongside the Beltrans for the past 10 years. “I admire the relationships they form with their students,” Calvin said. “The Beltrans teach more students in their classes than any of the other world languages, and still manage to make personal connections to each of their students. It takes an exceptional teacher to simultaneously hold students accountable and communicate such strong affection and care.”
More than words
In addition to teaching, the Beltrans have served as modern and classical languages chairs and moderators for Spanish Club, Spanish Honors Society, and the award-winning Ballet Folklorico, La Vikina. The latter club started with six students in 2018 and has nearly tripled in size under the Beltrans’ charge. “It takes a lot of time, but is extremely rewarding,” Maria said. “Being a role model for students that come from minority or diverse backgrounds allowed me to [help them see that] through faith and hard work, they can have their dreams come true.”
“When Maria and Arturo began the Ballet Folklorico program, they did so because they believed in a student with a wonderful idea,” said Cindy Jung, assistant principal for Student Affairs. “Watching them nurture that idea into something lasting taught me an important lesson: when we truly listen to students and walk alongside them, amazing things can grow.”
The Beltrans’ legacy has impacted hundreds of students and will be felt for generations at Nolan. “[They] serve as examples of Christ’s love to our students, faculty, and staff through their tireless efforts inside and outside of the classroom, the care and attention they show to their students, and the love they so clearly have for one another,” Calvin said.
Arturo and Maria are parishioners at St. Ann Parish in Burleson where they have helped establish a weekly Spanish Mass. Their retirement plans include traveling and spending quality time with their three children and four grandchildren.
With a new season of life around the corner, the Beltrans will always have a special place in their hearts for Nolan. Arturo said his reward is “the love of the students, a passion for the kids. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.”
Maria agreed, adding, “We have been blessed. It’s really a blessing to be here, and I’m going to miss it.”