What's in a Name?

Jacinta Ortiz

Jacinta Ortiz- Dominican ancestry; Mia Vasquez-Rivera's beloved English teacher, Mrs. Ortiz is a very kindly woman with a fiery spirit whom is often found in a good mood, expressing passion for the subject that she teaches and going great lengths to keep her students motivated in her course. She is also known to have a warm, enthusiastic demeanor that usually tends to lighten up the mood inside of her classroom. Generally level-headed and sympathetic to her students, she often chooses to advise them earnestly with firm guidance. She is openly bisexual and is currently committed to her wife Keishnel Sanchez, with whom she had daughter named Willow through artificial insemination, as well as a son named Hunter. Mrs. Ortiz was actually born in Connecticut but came from a tough, abusive upbringing in a low-income household in the Bronx, leading her to consider herself a self-made woman. She was often misunderstood as a child due to her unusual interests, such as her love of fantasy novels and comic books, which her mother openly disapproved of. She motivated herself to want to belong to and achieve something bigger than herself by using her love of English literature to teach and inspire a younger generation. A graduate of Barnard College, she is just and fair in terms of educating her pupils and grading their assignments and often encourages a form of tough love to push her students to maximize their potential in their work. Mrs. Ortiz took Mia under her wing during her freshman year of high school, during which she was experiencing a difficult time of transition. She saw potential in her writing after noticing her exceptional skills when crafting a personal narrative that was assigned for each student. She enjoys students who are intellectually curious and bright, encouraging a love of learning in the adolescents she teaches, and she has also advocated for the usage of braille. 

She also has a fondness for dark humor and enjoys charming her students with her sarcasm and sharp wit, living by the motto that "you are who you think you are". Artsy, creative, and soulful, Mrs. Ortiz is a fan of Rent and has formidable skills when it comes to poetry, with dreams of working as a writer in the city and being a playwright. She hopes to have one of her pieces be produced for Broadway and absolutely adores Mia, saying that she reminds her of her niece. She was previously married to a white man named Gage, who taught philosophy at a university but divorced him due to differing passions and claims that "she wanted her own freedom". For a time, she had been content living life as a single, uncommitted woman who dated men fleetingly and was viewed as being very independent and self-sufficient. Mrs. Ortiz is an elder millennial who wears peplum tops, which she tends to pair with loose or wide-leg denim and tailored trousers. Her longtime best friend is a woman of mixed Mexican and Filipino ancestry named Itzel, whose husband Ignacio is of Mexican and Dominican descent. She is very close to Itzel's first born son Earl, a young boy with Down Syndrome who she endearingly calls "Gordito". She is also a strong advocate for supporting young people with similar conditions and regularly posts educational videos on YouTube encouraging others to be more accepting of those with disabilities. Mrs. Ortiz previously received death threats as a teenager when posting fan art innocently "shipping" and pairing off different characters romantically from her favorite cartoon series'. She regularly contributed to several art-related sites, namely Tumblr,  and encountered a number of rabid fans who disapproved of her opinions and views. 

She struggled with binge-drinking as well throughout a period in her life during which she fell into a vicious pattern of self-loathing and self-victimization following a bad breakup that was only resolved once she received treatment. Her younger half-brother Hidalgo, who is Chinese-Dominican and resides in Washington Heights is extremely protective of her and shows concern for her well-being due to her intense past, although she insists that is capable of taking care of herself on her own. A notable attribute of Mrs. Ortiz is her optimism and zest for life, which many of her family and friends find contagious, as she is seldom seen without a smile on her face. She is very compassionate and understanding and tries to be receptive to those around her, causing her to be perceived as wise, as well as a good listener and confidant. She loves to travel and is very interested in visiting Lisbon one day, as well as the city of Prague, which she considers to be truly magical. She also tends to have a goofy sense of humor at times and is seen as laidback and relaxed during her encounters, seeing the best in others and making the most of every moment. Mrs. Ortiz loves to eat mangu with "los tres golpes", dulce de lechosa, morcilla, and rum cake, although she also admits that she can never resist fast food either and regularly drives through McDonald's to order an ice cream Sundae and a Big Mac. She similarly has a special fondness for Jazz music and is a fan of various music artists, such as Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan. She likes to do pole classes in her spare time along with Keishnel and will sometimes plan a backyard picnic for the two of them after work if the weather is good enough. She still keeps a necklace with the initial of her first name that was given to her by her father before he passed away from a brain hemorrhage when she was 6 years old.