B.A. in Psychology & Social Behavior, 1994; Ed.D. in Educational Administration, 2005
School of Education
March 1, 2008
“DO A JOB YOU LOVE AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE.”
Dr. Jorge Velastegui is currently the principal of Agnes Ware Stanley Elementary School in the Garden Grove Unified School District. First as a teacher, and now as principal, Jorge has advanced his love of learning into a distinctive academic and professional career.
Jorge transferred to UC Irvine from UCLA in the fall of 1992. Over the next two years, he completed coursework and obtained a B.A. from the Social Ecology Department with a specialization is Psychology and Social Behavior. After graduating, Jorge became a Claims Adjuster with a large insurance company. Soon realizing that he wanted to contribute something more important to the world, Jorge decided in the summer of 1996 that he wanted to pursue a career in teaching.
Jorge was hired as an elementary school teacher in the Garden Grove Unified School District in the fall of 1996 and worked at Gilbert Elementary School for the next nine years. In 2000, Jorge returned to UC Irvine as a master’s student in the Educational Technology Leadership program in the Department of Education. In the master’s program, he met faculty and staff who changed his life, and he credits Dr. Ann DeVaney for encouraging him to a pursue doctorate degree. Upon completion of his master’s program, Jorge enrolled in the UCI/UCLA Joint Ed.D. program. He is grateful for the guidance and support of Dr. Mark Warschauer, who served as his dissertation advisor. Jorge is also thankful for the support and friendship of Leora Fellus through his five years in the Department of Education.
In the fall of 2005, Jorge left the elementary school setting and became a high school teacher at Pacifica High School where he taught U.S. History and Economics. Also in the fall of 2005, Jorge successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled Handheld Computers in Diverse Classrooms: Educational Technology and Social Reproduction in Two Southern California Middle Schools. In the fall of 2006, Jorge became the Program Facilitator at Riverdale Elementary School; and in June of 2007, he was appointed principal of Stanley Elementary School.
Jorge communicates that he is grateful for the love and support of his wife Holly. He is thankful for his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Ecuador and always taught him to give 120%. He acknowledges that he is indebted to the UC Irvine community who embraced and encouraged him. Finally, Jorge is grateful to be a part of the Garden Grove Unified School District team for the last 12 amazing years.
“I can’t imagine another career where you can make such a positive impact on the lives on young people everyday than that of being a teacher.”