Spanish teacher Ashley Pate has been teaching at Salem for eight years. Throughout those years, she has formed many relationships with both teachers and students, leaving a lasting impression on many lives. Both in and out of school, Pate is described as a caring, humorous person. There’s no denying that she loves her job and students.
“I would describe her as joyous, compassionate, and benevolent,” said senior Lennon Ruiz, a student of Pate’s in AP Spanish Language and Culture. “Right from the moment she says [‘¡hola chicos!’], you can feel her energy, and it makes us excited. Not just for the class itself, but for the fact that she’s happy to see us. You can’t walk into her class without smiling or feeling some [good] energy.”
Similarly, French teacher Melisande Goodwin said she and Pate have been friends for three years, and Pate can be best described as thorough, funny, and generous.
“She likes things done well and neat,” said Goodwin. “She will [playfully] criticize how I write on the whiteboard if it is not in a straight line. She is a fun teacher [who] uses humor to make her classes more engaging, [and] Pate will go out of her way to help people, whether they are students, colleagues, family, or friends.”
On top of being a Spanish teacher, Pate is also the World Language Department Chair, adding many extra responsibilities to her plate.
“I don’t always handle being department chair and being a teacher perfectly,” said Pate. “It can be hard because my priority is always my students, so planning and grading take precedent. My Department Chair responsibilities have to happen after school.”
Despite all of the tasks she’s saddled with, Pate claims she couldn’t imagine herself doing anything else. She’s always known that she was meant to be a teacher, and her decision to teach Spanish came just as easily as her initial decision to work in a school.
“Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher,” said Pate. “It was the only career I ever had in mind for myself. I had family members who worked in education who inspired me, and I loved the idea of working with kids. In eighth grade, when I took my first Spanish class, I knew that I wanted to teach Spanish. My teacher sparked my love for the language and culture with her energetic spirit and engaging lessons.”
Her hard work and dedication have surely paid off, as many students and faculty members are able to call Pate a mentor.
“She has been a good mentor and someone I enjoy collaborating with because we have very similar teaching styles,” said Goodwin. “She is someone I will go to if I need input or feedback; her input is very valuable.”
Pate’s favorite part about being a teacher is having the opportunity to be a part of her students’ lives and journeys. To Pate, the stress and overwhelming responsibilities of the job seem trivial once she watches her students cross the stage during graduation.
“It’s magical to see students improve in their language proficiency, [and] more than that, I love being a part of their journeys,” said Pate. “I feel very maternal towards my students, and I love seeing all that they succeed [in doing]. Watching them achieve great things is the most rewarding aspect of my job.”
Throughout her eight years of teaching, her favorite memory has to be a field trip she took with her AP Spanish Language and Culture class in June of 2025.
“My favorite memory was taking my AP Spanish class to a traditional Mexican restaurant and market last year,” said Pate. “It was impressive to see my students communicate with native speakers in real-life situations, and it was a fun adventure after the stress of prepping for the AP exam.”
Pate is also the owner of two adorable goldendoodles. They are frequently mentioned in class and serve as Pate’s classroom mascots; there isn’t one of her students who doesn’t know about them.
“Ally [is a] mini goldendoodle [who is] 25 lbs and 6 years old. She’s sweet, calm, pudgy, and perfect,” said Pate. “Rooney–aka Roon–[is a] mini goldendoodle [who is] 40 lbs and 4 years old. She’s cuddly, excited, strong, and nearly perfect. She eats socks.”
Overall, even with the stress of her job, Pate continues to be an attentive and fun teacher.
