Gabriela Mistral was once an ordinary teacher in a
 small village school in Northern Chile. Towering
mountains separate her village from the world outside.
 Gabriela Mistral was only 15 when she began teaching,
 but she was a good teacher. She helped the minds of
 her students' scale the mountain walls and reached
 out to the world beyond. For 18 years, Gabriela
 devoted her life to the poor farm children of
Chile's Northern valleys. During part of this time
, she was director of schools in all of Chile.
Before long, many countries recognized her as a great
 friend of children and the leader in education.
In 1922, she was invited to Mexico to help organize the
rural school system. Two years later, Gabriela Mistral
came to the United States where she served as a
 visiting professor in several colleges.