Angel Alim-Flores is a 25-year-old seventh-grade math teacher who has been teaching since she was 21. She is the breadwinner for her family. Having accepted responsibility for supporting five of her seven siblings, Angel fulfills her obligations by teaching in the United States.
Grace Amper is a 32-year-old ninth-grade math teacher with 10 years of teaching experience. She leaves her infant son in the Philippines to secure a brighter future for him.
Dorotea Godinez is a 43-year-old high school science teacher with 22 years of teaching experience. When asked why she wants to teach in Baltimore, she responds candidly, "For greener pastures. The Philippines is financially ill, and employees are receiving salaries below the poverty line." In the United States, Godinez earns 25 times as much as she would in the Philippines, enough to support her husband and four sons.
Rhea Espedido is a 35-year-old special education elementary teacher who has been an educator for 13 years. When she moves to the United States, she is separated from her husband for the first time in 19 years. She also leaves her two children behind.