Maybel Pantaleon incumbent as a Wahluke K-12 student

MATTAWA — Maybel Pantaleon, who was appointed to the Wahluke School Board by the board more than a year ago, has lived here nearly all of her life, attending Wahluke Schools K-12 and graduating from Wahluke High in 2007.

“I’ve got a different perspective than the other board members; I speak the language of the kids,” she said during a candidate interview. “I went to school here, and my kids will go to school here.”

If there is one thing Pantaleon wants to see beefed up, it’s the effort to teach English to children born in Mexico or of Mexican parents. If the children can master that challenge, they can master everything else.

“I had a lot of friends who struggled,” Pantaleon said.

Pantaleon also wants to see the board head in the direction of better connections with the staff, students and community. She believes board members should visit the schools at least occasionally.

Pantaleon said she sat back for a brief period when she went on the board, but she’s fully involved now. If she has a point to make, she’ll speak up. She understands her duty.

Pantaleon was not in favor of a change when a group of high schoolers asked the board for a change in school uniform. It’s not really a uniform, but a dress code the kids must follow.

The students who asked were dressed in an array of styles outside of the dress code. Pantaleon didn’t appreciate it.

“Is that the way you plan to dress?” she asked, and the issue died for lack of board interest.

Knowing she was on the side of a board consensus, Pantaleon talked to incoming Principal Mia Benjamin last spring about an effort to end senior pranks at the school. There wasn’t one last spring.

“I have to give her props for that,” Pantaleon said.

Pantaleon was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. with her family at the age of one and a half. For all intents and purposes, she grew up an American.

But she was not officially one until September of last year. She couldn’t become a citizen until she was 18, and after 18, there was no urgency.

Pantaleon was an athlete, playing soccer and volleyball and running track. She went to state four years as a triple jumper and on relays a couple of years.

She showed up for her final year at state with a knee injury and placed eighth to several girls she had beaten throughout the year.

“I was happy I at least placed,” she said.

Pantaleon moved on to Big Bend Community College for an AA degree. Then she studied at the Tri-City School of Massage to become a certified massage therapist.

Pantaleon worked at city hall part time while she attended BBCC. She there full time when she attended TCSM.

The massage schooling turned out to be for naught. She liked the work at city hall and didn’t want to leave it.

“I really like this town and the people; It is home,” she said.

The late Mayor Judy Esser hired Pantaleon for city hall, then Pantaleon was moved to the clerk’s position at the police department. At some point she told Police Chief John Turley she wanted to be an officer. To do that she needed to go to the reserve academy, and she needed to become a citizen.

Suddenly there was urgency to become an official American. She started the process toward citizenship.

After an interview for a vacant position during the same time frame, school board members liked Pantaleon well enough to wait about a week for her citizenship to be final.