October 2026
By Alejandro Flores, Staff Reporter
How has dance changed your life? Some might view it as an art, a performance, or a one-shot chance to pursue a career full of creativity and dedication. But for KAC teacher Marifer Yanez, it’s a lifestyle.
Maria Yanez was born on October 23rd and eventually moved to the U.S and joined KAC. Although she had joined KAC during 2024, Ms. Yanez was no stranger to Coach Vallejo, the head coach of Dance Crew; she’s known her since she was a fifth grader! “Coach Vallejo actually approached me around March of 2025 asking me to be a coach alongside her. I felt the highest level of honor – the fact that a mentor and someone that I looked up to since I met her when I was in 5th grade, when the Dance Crew performed at Vista, I said yes.”
Ms. Yanez is a well-rounded teacher: She was a previous Spanish teacher before switching to Biology and Anatomy this year, a Dance Crew coach, and the Korean Club founder. “I started Korean Club last year, with a couple of freshmen students, and they did great,” Yanez stated, but she hopes that the Korean club would allow students to continue learning another language, rather than treating it as an ordinary club. She shares that Korean Club, hopefully, would soon become another Language Class here in KAC since our school population is so heavily Hispanic orientated. “I think that a lot of students are interested, and benefit from having a club, alongside ASL, that will bring awareness of the outside world.”
Although she has been in Dance Crew for only a year, she is well informed about the art of dance. “I have always loved dancing. I took one week of ballet in Mexico before coming to the US. After that, I had not been able to take any dance classes under the instruction of someone. The great instruction and passion that Ms. Vallejo and Ms. Markey provided me resulted in me switching my major from Biology to Dance. After my freshman year of college, I knew that, as much as I liked the sciences, Dance was what I truly wanted to do. Three years later, I graduated from Texas State University with a B.A in Dance.” Her family is no different, “Being from a Mexican family, dance has always been prevalent in our lives from dancing in the living room to family celebrations. However, I am the only one in my family to have pursued higher education in the Arts.”
Ms. Yanez is a first generation student from a Mexican family and aspires that many other students will follow her guidance, but for some, others don’t really see the true power that education holds. Something that makes Yanez, or any other teacher around the world, secretly upset is the desensitivity of students towards education. “ They take it for granted, or when they don’t feel like it’s needed in life. So whenever I hear students say ‘Oh, I’m going to drop out’ or ‘Oh, I don’t care, I’m not going to use this in life.’ It upsets me.”
Behind such a remarkable woman, there are unique traits about her that many would not presume to ask her. Korean is not the only language she know, in fact, she’s a linguafile: “I don’t know if I would consider it secret or fun, but I am obsessed with languages. I am learning Korean, I can read Hiragana, I know very minimal ASL and I can read Russian but do not know anything about the language yet.” She enjoys spending her time around her family, friends and her pets: her bunny, Remi, and dog, Ricky.
Ms. Yanez is an amazing person that many should get to know for the richness in her life, personal and professional. She’s a heart of gold and more than the title, Ms. Yanez.” She describes herself as a curious, reflective, patient, and optimistic person and always evolving for the next chapter in her life. She’s a woman with fluency in multiple cultures and arts and strives that others will pursue their education.
Ms. Yanez wants to leave important lessons to her students. “If I could spread wisdom,” she said, “it would be to tell everyone to get the education that they can, because it’s not available to everyone in the world.”
