When students arrive at Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights each morning, many are greeted by the gentle voice of classroom aide Martha Pimentel. At 63, she moves with the calm confidence of someone who has spent a lifetime caring for others whether they are special-education students, community members, or her own children. Her presence in the classroom is steady, patient and deeply rooted in a journey marked by sacrifice, resilience and faith.
Pimentel was born in the rural town of Guadalupe Victoria in Baja California, Mexico, a community with only a few hundred residents. As the first female granddaughter in her family, she grew up surrounded by hardworking farmers and small-business owners. “My father and uncle started a little store with very little money, but plenty of dreams,” she said. “They worked hard to provide the locals with basics like cans, meat and poultry.”
Her earliest memory of wanting to teach came from afternoons spent pretending to hold class for her grandparents’ chickens. “I’d show up dragging my little mochila and get ready to teach them,” she laughed. But even with her enthusiasm for school, financial barriers made education difficult. While elementary school was free, middle and high school were not and after her father left for the United States in 1971, the family struggled to pay the fees. “It was a sad chapter,” she said. “I was very attached to him. When he left, things became harder for us.”
For years, Martha remained in Mexico with her family while her father worked in the U.S. The separation brought emotional strain, and helping to support her family became increasingly difficult. “We struggled financially for a long time,” she said. “But I always reminded myself that God was with us. That gave me strength.”
She later immigrated to Los Angeles in 1974, where she adjusted to an entirely new life: a big city, unfamiliar language and crowded apartments. “My dad worked two jobs when I lived with him. It wasn’t easy, but we always had what we needed,” she said.
Her path into education began unexpectedly after she lost her job, car and home. “I prayed to God for an opportunity,” she said. That opportunity came through Dr. Washington, an administrator who encouraged her to take a job working with special-education students. “I told her, ‘Ma’am, I have never worked with children!’” Martha recalled. “She just smiled and said, ‘It’s the same thing you’ll see.’
Seventeen years later, Martha is a beloved staff member at Wilson High School. Her students include teens with developmental disabilities, behavioral challenges and special learning needs. Many come from households facing language barriers, economic stress and limited access to academic support. “Some of our students don’t have stability at home,” she said. “Some struggle to communicate their needs. Some have experienced trauma. It’s not easy for them but they’re beautiful kids.”
Her approach is rooted in patience and compassion. She helps students with daily skills, academic tasks, emotional regulation and moments of crisis. “Sometimes it means cleaning up after them, or helping them calm down when words don’t work,” she said. “Sometimes it means just sitting with them so they know they’re safe.”
Her daughter, Jackie, said her mother’s strength and generosity have shaped her own values. “I definitely get my work ethic from her,” Jackie said. “She taught me to be persistent and work hard for the things I want. She’s the kind of person who would give her last dollar to someone in need. I’m proud to be her daughter.”
Nine years ago, Martha survived cancer, a turning point that deepened her faith and reminded her of her purpose. “God has taken care of us,” she said. “I still go to work every day doing something I love. Helping others is my passion.” Martha was diagnosed with a cancer closely related to Metastatic Cancer in 2016 when they found a lump under her armpit area. She described the cancer as painful but not physically but mentally and emotionally. Martha says “I went through so much those 2 years no one told me how devastating it would be to recover by myself. I had no one at home. All I did was hang on to my lord and prayed hard” Martha’s strength and passion are not only admirable but also a powerful reflection of who she is as a person.
Working in education has not always been easy. Staffing shortages, burnout and high emotional demands have changed school environments across the country. Pimentel feels those shifts deeply. “Teachers and aides aren’t appreciated enough,” she said. “But we don’t do it for praise. We do it because we love these students.”
Now nearing retirement age, she reflects on both the hardships and the blessings that brought her to where she is. “I adore my students,” she said. “I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. Everything I went through the struggles, the losses, the challenges brought me here. And here is exactly where I’m meant to be.” Martha has had hardship after hardship and instead of curling into a ball and letting the world swallow her, she kept getting back up and giving to others when she never had to. She has shown that she’s a warrior and always ready for whatever comes her way while continually offering help and kindness to the people around her.
Gabriel Angulo is a journalism major at California State University, Long Beach, and will enter his final semester this spring. He is also a reporter with ENYE, the bilingual magazine at Cal State Long Beach. After graduating, he plans to continue writing and reporting, with a particular interest in sports journalism.
