Luisa Blackwell earned her master’s online in bilingual education and ESL from Texas Tech’s College of Education, while in Japan, to better coach teachers in the field.
As a little girl growing up in Lima, Peru, Luisa (Pejerrey Solis) Blackwell showed all the signs of wanting to be a teacher; she just didn’t know it yet. Since childhood, she always felt excited to share what she learned with peers and family members. She remembers later helping classmates who struggled with algebra concepts, meeting with them after school to explain things in simple ways and encouraging them to try without fear.
In May, Luisa completed Texas Tech University’s online Master of Education in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language (ESL) through the College of Education – her fourth college degree, following two bachelor’s degrees and another master’s. Because her husband, Robert, is an active-duty U.S. Navy sailor stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, she needed to do a program online, while juggling a DoDEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) teaching position and raising two daughters.
“I have always been ravenous for education,” Luisa said. “I was constantly eager to learn more and more. I was the student who always had questions for my teachers and searched for answers in books and magazines – we didn’t have access to the internet – or by visiting community libraries on the weekends.”
Neither of Luisa’s parents finished college, but they still emphasized the value of education. After completing high school, her father, José Pejerrey, studied administration at a private junior college in Lima, but he couldn’t finish due to family responsibilities. Her mother, Carmen Solis, graduated from high school, married her father and became a stay-at-home mom, so she wasn’t able to attend college. But all five of their children did – Luisa is fourth among the first-generation-college siblings.
Carmen was a great influence on them, requiring her children to stay at the table after dinner to focus on school assignments and read aloud to each other.
“My mother encouraged us to ask all sorts of questions to better understand the material and improve our fluency,” Luisa explained. “My mother always believed that education was the key to succeeding in every area of life and that it would give us the confidence to face both life and reality.”
Her mother was right, at least in Luisa’s case.
On Base for Learning
After successfully completing a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Federico Villarreal in Lima, Luisa chose to relocate to the U.S. in 2003, specifically Houston, to pursue further studies.
In classic Luisa style, after a few months studying ESL, she wanted to immerse herself more deeply in the language and the American educational system by taking GED classes (English Language Arts, science, math and social studies) in English. She was happy to meet other adults pursuing their high school equivalency.
Completing those in six months, she next enrolled at Houston Community College to begin higher education, taking general studies courses while working at a preschool. It was during this time she met with a Navy recruiter and decided to join the military, a decision that completely changed her life, and only increased her appetite for learning – and teaching.
Luisa proudly served in the U.S. Navy for five years as a Logistics Specialist, achieving the rank of Second-Class Petty Officer (E-5) before being honorably discharged in 2010. She was stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi and aboard the USS Roosevelt in Mayport, Florida. She, of course, continued her education, completing an associate degree while stationed overseas in Guam and while in port. She also realized she had the ability to teach during her service, especially when training her junior sailors in performing logistical duties.
It was during this time, in 2006, that she met her husband, Robert Blackwell, who is from Crockett, Texas, and attended Sam Houston State University.
“When I first met her, she was taking college classes like crazy. And to this day, I’ve never seen anybody take more college classes while in the military than my wife. I always joke with everybody,” he said, tapping his head with his index finger, “‘You better be smart when you choose your wife! You want somebody who is educated and all that.’”
He said he knew, with her desire for education and her work ethic, nothing was going to stop her.
In fact, Robert has used Luisa as an example many times when counseling his junior sailors – especially ones who already speak multiple languages – encouraging them to pursue a degree like she had while in the Navy, and having tuition assistance pay for college.
Still voraciously seeking her own education, Luisa earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish with a minor in Professional Education at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
“This was my second bachelor’s degree and the one that helped me realize my true calling, to teach and to share the importance of language and cultural heritage,” Luisa reminisced with a smile.
Later, Robert’s career took the family of four to Bremerton, Washington. Jessica had been born in 2007 and Julia in 2008. There Luisa solidified her path to becoming a teacher. After earning a master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, she taught in Bremerton schools for almost 10 years.
Becoming a Red Raider
In June 2023, the Blackwell family relocated to Yokosuka, where Robert, a Chief Petty Officer (E-7), received his final assignment with NCIS Yokosuka. He is set to retire in June 2026 after 22 years of service.
Luisa took her career with her; she continued teaching Spanish in DoDEA schools, serving military children on the base at Nile C. Kinnick High School, where Julia is a senior this year.
But even after earning three college degrees, Luisa was hungry for more. She used her military benefits to continue her education and began Texas Tech’s Master of Education in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language.
She pursued the degree not only to continue her own professional development and improve her practice, but also to deepen her understanding of the value of bilingual education in today’s educational system.
Luisa found Texas Tech’s program through a lengthy and thorough internet search. No other one she considered had the components she was looking for.
“I went online looking for recommendations,” Luisa said. “I wanted interaction with other students, a curriculum with a strong reputation and the opportunity to learn from a well-respected professor in the field.”
That educator is Comfort Pratt, an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. She also is the program coordinator and recruiter for Luisa’s master’s program. Pratt knew immediately upon seeing Luisa’s application, that she wanted the accomplished student in the program.
In Pratt’s eyes, Luisa brought much to the cohort of online students. A native of Peru. A degree in Spanish. Another in education. Bilingual teaching experience. A military veteran.
“We haven't had anyone from the U.S. Navy in our program before, and that is a very important thing for us,” Pratt said. “And then I saw that her husband was also in the Navy. And I thought, ‘This is really very impressive.’”
Seeing all Luisa had accomplished, Pratt knew she was driven and organized. But the two had to work together to overcome one glaring obstacle – the 14-hour time difference. What was evening in Texas would be the next morning in Japan, and Luisa would be getting up to teach.
Pratt agreed to record all of the seminars that Luisa would miss, and Luisa had to set a strict schedule, as she was juggling her own teaching job, the master’s courses and her family obligations.
Luisa would sometimes get up at 3 a.m. to do her coursework before going to work. When she got home from a day at school, she would read her course materials, send emails to her mentor/professor and respond to her classmates. Sometimes she’d also have to get up early for meetings. The course wasn’t just completing assignments. It required meeting with classmates face to face, planning and doing work together like writing lesson plans.
“It was a challenge at the beginning, but fortunately, I’m a morning person,” Luisa said, showing off her cup of coffee for the 6 a.m. (her time) interview. “Once I got into the routine, it became a habit.”
She maintained that general schedule for a year and a half, including summer, to complete the Texas Tech master’s degree.
One of Luisa’s favorite things about the experience was feeling like she was in the classroom. She appreciated the opportunity to hear and listen to firsthand experiences from colleagues going through the same struggles and successes. Since she was not in Texas, she was able to see the developments in the field regarding the classrooms in the public schools. This afforded her the chance to think through ways to solve situations – how to use this approach, how to apply that concept – an overall experience that was extremely fulfilling to her.
She also was able to transfer those techniques to her own Spanish-language learners and reflect on how “wrong” she had been doing things.
“I had a lot of experience teaching. But it was not enough,” Luisa admitted. “There is always a better way to address things. It helps with the mastery for the students. Anything you apply that you learn – you do it with intention to help your students succeed.”
And succeed she has. Both Luisa’s husband and her mentor knew she would. In fact, Robert is certain the whole idea was his.
“I like to take credit for her going into the education field,” he said, laughing. “I told her, ‘You love school so much, you’d be a perfect teacher.’ We would talk about it early on in our marriage, so she decided to go for it. I also did a lot of proofreading; I told her I think my name should be on that diploma as well because I feel like I’ve learned so much.”
Pratt says once Luisa got over her initial fear of being able to navigate the program, she was the student everyone wanted to work with because they knew that with her as a partner, they’d be certain to get their work not just finished, but the best it could be and on time.
“She was an exemplary student,” Pratt said emphatically. “She had a family – she had two teenage children. A lot of times, people with families have some difficulties, and that would come through, for instance, during a seminar. You see that maybe somebody's a little sleepy or a little absent-minded. But she was always sharp. She came with a drive and determination that could not be stopped.”
Sharing Her Knowledge Stateside
The Blackwells will be in Japan another year until Robert’s retirement. Luisa will have one more year to teach Spanish, and daughter Julia will be graduating from the high school where her mom teaches. They will be moving to Jacksonville, Florida, where there is a huge need for bilingual education/ESL teachers.
“My goal when I move and set my roots in that specific place, is to continue my duties as a bilingual educator, a bilingual specialist,” Luisa said. “I really am blessed – every time we moved somewhere, there has always been a need for Spanish teachers, bilingual and ESL. I hope to coach teachers with the expertise I’ve gained. They need that knowledge to be successful in the classroom. I want to be able to support them.”
Luisa looks back on her journey with deep wisdom, not only from the education she’s received but also from life lessons. She emphasizes that it’s of utmost importance for a person to look for ways to grow – not just emotionally, but morally, spiritually, professionally – in all the areas of one’s life. The philosophy is something she likes to share with her students as well.
“I’m a believer in this – education takes you everywhere,” she said with complete self-assurance. “Don’t ever stop learning. Knowing more than one language, or two or three, helps with the cognitive processes and communication skills. Education and language give you a broader view and empathy about other cultures.”
Reflecting on the master’s program, it was more than she ever expected, even from the rave reviews she read that prompted her to enroll at Texas Tech.
“If I compare it to the program I took for my master’s in elementary education as an on-campus student, it doesn’t compare,” Luisa said fervently. “This was just unique. I felt like I was on campus. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who really wants to learn – and know ‘what’s up,’ as they say.”
Luisa has never been on the Texas Tech campus. Although she finished her degree requirements in May, she has waited to walk for graduation until August. The people who knew there was no stopping her will be there: her mother, husband, daughters and in-laws who live in Texas.
“Texas Tech gave me the tools, guidance and experiences that shaped me into the educator I am today,” Luisa said proudly. “It taught me to always strive for excellence and to believe in my full potential. Its motto, ‘From Here, it’s Possible™,’ reminds me to give my best every day, in the classroom and in every interaction with fellow educators, so I can make a real difference not only in my school, but in the lives of students and the community around me.”