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Perhaps Jamie Legato was born to be an educator.

From her early days of playing school as a little girl to teaching in a high school today, her dream has been realized.

Currently, Legato is a first-year Spanish and English teacher at Lapeer West High School.

"I had always played school and knew from an early age. I had my own classroom set up in the basement and my Cabbage Patch Kids were my students. I enjoyed teaching as a child. I was always a teacher's helper," she said.

Legato tries to emulate a favorite teacher she once had, Lisa Pisko. In turn, Legato enjoys being a role model to her students.

"I enjoy sharing knowledge and learning from students," she said. "Kids need good role models. I try very hard and I'm a good listener."

A Western Michigan University graduate, Legato is currently working on her master's degree in language arts. "I really enjoy West and couldn't ask for a more friendly staff," she said.

Legato hopes her students learn their lessons through storytelling as they often do in Spanish class.

She said her colleagues at West also serve as mentors and have helped her get accustomed including Brian Mauk, Paul Fernandez, and Jeanine LeMieux.

Legato lives in Macomb County and is single. "I truly love what I do," she said. "How I want this school year is up to me. For my Spanish students I want them to walk out of here and communicate in Spanish as level one students would."

To further enhance the Spanish language teaching, Legato started a Spanish Club at West. The club meets once a month for all four levels.

"It was something I always wanted to do. We don't get to go through as much culture as I'd like. We're learning Latin dance from watching the TV show 'Dancing With the Stars.'"

Legato's hobbies are reading and running. She ran the Chicago Marathon, the Traverse City Marathon, and recently ran the Detroit Half Marathon.

Other first-year teachers The County Press will be following include: Heather Wojciechowski of Dryden High School, Jaime Buike of North Branch Middle School, Bill Spruytte of Lapeer East High School, and Craig Miller of Imlay City High School.

Jennifer Decker can be reached at 664-0811, Ext. 8125 or jennifer.decker@lapeergroup.com