Spotlights 2008

A B.A. in History and a Minor in Educational Studies Leads to Teaching Position at Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim

I would say that receiving my teaching credential and becoming a teacher fulfilled a lifelong dream. I would also say that since childhood I have wanted to work in education, to be around kids, and to pass on all that wonderful knowledge and those valuable skills that I was fortunate enough to receive. I would say these things, but they’re not true. In fact, as a scrawny freshman at UC Irvine, teaching was probably the last profession I saw myself pursuing. But, fortunately, things certainly change. And I could not be happier.

I grew up in Canyon Country, California with the best family anyone could hope for, although, in high school I was fairly sure I had the worst parents in history. Then I had a revelation sometime within the first couple weeks at UC Irvine: my parents were usually right about everything. Anyway, at different points in my childhood I wanted to be a jet fighter pilot, an astronaut, a professional soccer player (I’m still working on that one), and a computer programmer. I graduated from high school with the latter aspiration in mind. Thus, I entered UC Irvine as an Information and Computer Science major. I found out pretty quickly, however, that sitting in front of a computer and writing code for hours was definitely not for me. Feeling a bit lost, I switched my major to History with no clue on where that would lead. Thankfully, I stumbled onto a couple of education classes, and I was absolutely hooked. Two years later I graduated with a B.A. in History and a Minor in Educational Studies. The next fall I entered the Multiple Subject Credential program at UCI, and after a crazy, intense, apology email-filled, rollercoaster-ride of a year I graduated with my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential! My greatest joy throughout the program was being a student representative for the amazing Cohort C.

My time as an Anteater was truly fantastic. I spent some of my time (not enough time, though) in the Humanities Out There (HOT) program, the Teachers of Tomorrow club, and CALPIRG. The best times, however, were spent playing intramural sports. I took some wonderful classes with some incredible professors. I want to give a quick shout-out to Jeff Johnston, a professor I discovered way too late in my college life. Nonetheless, he rekindled my love for teaching and is a role model in every sense of the word. Leigh Barton, our Multiple Subject Credential program coordinator, was also extremely inspirational. When things seemed too bleak, Leigh was always there for encouragement.

Now I’m teaching at the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim. I mainly teach 5th grade, but I also teach an afterschool class – the focus being on leadership, character education, and service – twice a week to middle school and high school students, which gives me the opportunity to work with students of all ages. And, I get a chance to perfect my golf swing. Looking back, it’s odd how I have reached this point in life. But I couldn’t imagine doing anything else (and I’m still working on that soccer thing).

<< Spotlights Home