In the world of education, there are those who simply educate and others who aspire to go beyond that, surpassing the role of teacher to become family and true mentors.

Dr. Rafael Montes has dedicated his whole life to studying and teaching literature, finding a home at ILS after many years serving at the college level at St. Thomas University.

Creating meaningful relationships with the ILS community, Dr. Montes is more than just an exceptional educator. He is a multitalented artist inclined to horror movie writing and creating literature. Outside of his work in education and creativity, he’s a beloved friend to many and a proud father. This reflects the diverse aspects of his personality.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, Dr. Montes arrived the United States at just one-month-old. Even though he’s lived in other states for short periods, he’s spent 50 years living in Miami, Florida.

“This is my second year at ILS. For ten years, I was at the University of Miami as an English Professor, and then I moved to St. Thomas University where I was professor of English and chair of the department for 25 years,” he explained.

After some time, Dr. Montes felt that he wasn’t getting enough traction in the classroom. The major that he was teaching was coming with fewer students who were interested in studying literature or becoming educators. He decided to teach high school students instead.

“I thought I could serve that clientele a lot better. I could teach 10th graders how to be excellent writers and prepare other students with my experience in college and universities,” Dr. Montes reasoned.

He emphasized the importance of training seniors for college and preparing them for the ups and downs of applying to different universities.

“I think a lot of seniors and people in general have very little knowledge of what college and university is like,” he said.

As one of Dr. Montes’ students since the day I entered his class, I immediately noticed the familiar and comfortable environment his classroom induced. His classes are directed in a way where students are responsible for their work, are lectured, and become more independent. Dr. Montes mentioned how he always tries to keep stable relationships with his students.

“I love all of the jokes that Dr. Montes says throughout his class, it makes the environment much more comfortable for all of us”, said senior Delfina Pellegrini.

“Ultimately, a positive relationship with a student is going to get them to work harder for you, rather than somebody who feels that they’re just a student in the classroom,” he explained.

Dr. Montes manifests his appreciation and love toward his students by calling them his “family.” Before every class, he says, “Two fingers up” and everyone gathers in a moment of prayer. 

“When I do prayer and when I talk to you all, for the one year you have me, you become a member of my family,” he elaborated.

This is a crucial aspect for him, considering that a good relationship must be established through a familiar friendship.

I asked Dr. Montes If he’s always known he wanted to be a teacher. He’s absolutely always wanted to be an educator since he’s always looked up to all his teachers.

“Looking at the wonders of being a teacher and the miraculous nature of what we do, we change people’s lives,” he said.

For Dr. Montes, being a teacher isn’t an easy job, but it is vital.

Dr. Montes also gave me an insight into all the fields of studies that he’s participated in such as American Literature, British Literature, African- American Literature, Asian Literature, and even World Literature. During college, he majored in English, Russian, and Spanish Literature.

“For the last ten years, my academic specialty has been Horror Literature and Films,” he said.

Horror literature is Dr. Rafael Montes’ side hustle, as he says, “I am a scriptwriter for horror films. Somebody hires me to pump up the script for these movies.”

Interestingly enough, Dr. Montes has participated in numerous pieces of literature and documentaries. He contributed to writing a movie called “The Welder,” which is out on Netflix having been released earlier this year.

Dr. Montes is finishing his own edited book about African-American Literature in India, which he plans to debut next year.

“I’m interested in this because in Indian colleges and universities, students must take a sequence of African-American Literature,” he explained.

His interest in knowing how these different types of literature are analyzed across various countries fuels the origin of his book.

Maintaining a creative process is one of the fundamental aspects of Dr. Rafael Montes’s career. Besides being a proud father, an ILS teacher, and a writer, he is a friend to everybody who needs one.

He exemplifies the true meaning of a multifaceted individual, combining his passion for creativity with his unwavering support for those in his life.