Ever since fourth grade, Ms. Mendoza has wanted to be a teacher. Presently, she’s been teaching for more than 20 years, and has taught all levels of Spanish at our school. However, as an adolescent, her parents influenced her to pursue a medical degree. Accordingly, she attended Bravo Medical Magnet for high school, volunteered at a hospital, and majored in biology. After spending several years in medicine, she realized that it wasn’t a true passion, which led her to rekindle her interest in teaching.
Ms. Mendoza says that the most important thing she has learned during her time as a teacher is “not to make assumptions”. “[Sometimes our] students act certain ways or behave a certain manner and it's not necessarily a tell all of who they really are.” She also spoke of how it’s important to talk to students and try to understand them. “It's important, but it can be difficult sometimes,” she says. Her favorite thing about our school is the diversity, saying that it “makes [students] aware of other people that live in their same community or are part of their same society.”
When she’s not in the classroom, Ms. Mendoza enjoys watching movies of all genres, listening to music, and reading. She also loves to travel and explore new places, saying that “it opens your eyes to the world [and] to other cultures…I think traveling would make human beings more empathetic towards other people and [enable them] to understand why people do certain things.”
Her emphasis on empathy and understanding are just two of the many things that make
Ms. Mendoza a wonderful person and a great teacher.