Former Drill Sergeant Is MEA Golden Apple Award Winner

Julio Vargas has been a drill sergeant and a bilingual instructor in the military. Now he is shaping the minds of second graders at Allen Elementary in Columbus.
 
Vargas is this week’s Golden Apple Award recipient. He says when he retired from the military he had two choices: be a police officer or a teacher. Vargas chose the latter.
 
Vargas does not take full credit for his success in the classroom. “We try our very best to reinforce or make better what they learn at home. Good manners and some initial disciplines that we know parents teach them. Because parents in turn are teachers also.“

Vargas has been teaching for 8 years.