Cancio Dormiendo is a math teacher who moved to Santa Fe in 2019 all the way from his home country, the Philippines, where he taught algebra and geometry to ninth-grade students. He now teaches geometry at Santa Fe High. 

Mr. Dormiendo graduated from Northwest Samar State University, a public university in the Philippines located in the Visayas region, specifically in Calbayog City. Mr. Dormiendo stated that he had always known he wanted to be a teacher. It is his passion to teach and encourage students to love math and learn more.

He admits that he struggled in school when he was a child and had no motivation to participate in his classes. This lack of motivation is what caused him to become a teacher — his goal is to inspire students now so they do not face the same issues that he struggled with as a student. “It is rewarding and a great feeling to see my students thrive and be successful,” he said. “I have students now who are studying in their own professions, and I love to see them branch out, to grow, to value what they will learn and be successful on their own.”

In his free time, Mr. Dormiendo enjoys hanging out with friends and traveling, especially to places with beaches; it is one of his stress relievers. “I really like going to the beach,” he said. “It is one of the things I miss most about the Philippines. It is very difficult here because there are no beaches and just desert.”

So far, Mr. Dormiendo’s favorite trip was to the beautiful island of Boracay, in the Philippines, and he also has visited El Nido, Palawan. While he misses the blue waters of the Philippines, he is enjoying everything that Santa Fe has to offer. 

“I am learning New Mexico’s culture, new places to visit, and understanding the traditions,” he said. “Having just moved here last year in August, it was a big transition for me, but so far it’s been great! I have met a lot of people, [including] Filipino teachers who have been teaching in different schools. I have enjoyed knowing my students well and teaching them for the better. I have visited nice places during holidays and long breaks here in the U.S. It is an honor for me being one of the chosen teachers to teach here. I have been learning a lot of great things and I hope I can impart a lot of great knowledge to students.”

Mr. Dormiendo believes in the saying, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it” by Malcolm X, so that’s why he never gives up teaching his students, believing that they will be successful in the future.