Danielle Frias

A single parent of three, Camila (15), Joaquín (13), and Eloise (13), Danielle brings a depth of experience and passion to her work that transforms how students see the world and their place in it.

Danielle earned her Master's in Spanish and Education from Iona College in New York, but her real education began much earlier. At age 16, she became an exchange student in a small, rural village in Spain. Without a single English speaker in the area, she quickly learned to speak Spanish and developed a passion for learning about other cultures. That experience changed everything. The day after she graduated from college at age 22, Danielle joined the Peace Corps and served in Panama for about two and a half years. She trained teachers in Environmental Education and worked in one-room schoolhouses with grades 1-6, one teacher, and no electricity, plumbing, potable water, or books. She saw firsthand what it's like to live with very limited resources and access to education.

After the Peace Corps, Danielle taught Bilingual 4th Grade at a public school in an under-resourced neighborhood in Detroit known as Mexican Town. She then spent 15 years teaching at a very prestigious independent school in New York. While there, in addition to teaching, she worked as a certified Postpartum Doula, supporting families with newborns, something she absolutely loved doing.

At SDS, Danielle has found joy in teaching Spanish to grades 5-8 and serving as a 5th grade Advisor. In 2020, Raíces was founded, and Danielle joined right in to lead. This group has been an important source of support and connection for her as a mother of Hispanic children. Through Raíces, her family gets to hear the Spanish language and celebrate their roots with others who come from similar cultural backgrounds.

But perhaps Danielle's most transformative work at SDS has been Change-for-Change, a Service Learning project that began 11 years ago. Former colleague Scott Votey spoke to her 5th grade class about schools in Nicaragua and how less than 30% of students graduate from high school because they lack the basic resources to attend. Danielle's students decided to collect coins to try to sponsor one child for a year. They ended up raising enough for 15! At that point, they made a commitment to continue sponsoring these children until they graduate. Over the years, they have sponsored roughly 30 children in the community of Palacagüina, Nicaragua. Seven of their sponsored students are now in college. They are the first in their families to go to secondary school and beyond.

Each year, the program raises $1,200 to provide 15 students with two pairs of shoes, a uniform, and a backpack of school supplies. In recent years, extra donations have gone to graduates to help them attend college. Students exchange letters in Spanish and have Zoom calls with the children throughout the year. Knowing there is limited access to books, every year they purchase a book in English and Spanish, have the 5th graders sign the books, illustrate and narrate the story in Spanish, and send a video along with the books.

Last summer, thanks to a Dorrance Grant, Danielle traveled to Nicaragua for eight days with Elizabeth Flores, Avery Beeson, and Chelsea Sosa. In the spring, Raíces hosted an International Fair as a fundraiser to buy five bikes for children who have to walk one to two hours one way to get to school. The event was so successful that they raised enough money for 25 bikes!

Danielle Frias's classroom is more than a place to learn Spanish, it's a place where students learn to see beyond their own experiences, to connect with others across borders and barriers, and to understand that even small acts of generosity can change lives. Through her teaching, her service, and her heart, Danielle reminds us all that education is about building bridges, not walls.