Local students to pursue teaching careers
Sue Breyer | CalRTA Division 33 Vice President
Division 33 of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) will honor eight future educators and their families at their scholarship luncheon in June. Each student will be presented with a $1000 scholarship from CalRTA Division 33 during their senior awards in the coming weeks. Scholarship recipients must meet three qualifications: Plan to become a public school teacher, hold a 3.0+ GPA in their junior/senior years, and show good citizenship at school and in the community.
Crystal Hernandez Villa, a senior at Hamilton High school, says, “Teaching little kids isn’t everyone’s first choice in future careers, but it is mine!” Crystal has always had a passion for helping kids. She says that she was lucky to have many caring teachers who helped her “feel safe and understood,” and she hopes to have that same kind of positive influence on her future students. Crystal plans to attend Mt. San Jacinto College then transfer to Cal State San Marcos or UC Riverside. “College would affect my life for the better because it will give me opportunities that my parents never had and some people only dream of having,” she says.
San Jacinto High School senior Haneen Lopez plans to continue her education at Cal Baptist University in Riverside. There she will work toward earning her elementary teaching credential, but her plans don’t end there. Her goal is to eventually earn her master’s degree, possibly an administrative credential or even a second credential in art. She’s looking forward to beginning Cal Baptist’s teaching program in the fall. “What’s unique about this program is that I will also receive my preliminary teaching credential and perform my student teaching while in my undergraduate program,” Lopez explains.
Natalie Town has a limitless imagination and a passion for art, especially animation, and she hopes to share that passion with her future art students. Natalie says, “I would love to become an art teacher and teach young artists to pursue their art careers,” just as she plans to continue expanding her own career and create her own original content. She even has a bit of the entrepreneurial spirit in her, selling her own artistic creations at a small crystal shop and the local farmer’s market. To help her fulfill her dream, Natalie plans to attend UC Riverside, major in art and animation, and eventually teach secondary art.
Iram Morales, a senior at Nuview Bridge Early College High School, “wants to become a teacher for deaf students, because everything is possible for deaf people.” Morales, who is deaf, says that she will not let her “disability” hinder her goal of becoming a teacher. The first in her family to go to college, she plans to attend UC Riverside after graduation, major in liberal studies, and eventually teach high school. “If I’m planning to become a teacher for deaf students,” Morales explains, “then I might have to teach all the subjects!”
Over the last four years, West Valley High School’s Kaitlyn Turner has transformed from an insecure freshman caught up in the drama of social media to a confident, senior class president whose goal is to go to college and become an educator. “During my K through 12 experience I have been fortunate to have teachers who positively impacted my education and my personal life. As a result of my personal experience, I now understand the value of dedicated, caring, and trustworthy educators. This is why I chose to pursue education as my career path,” Turner explains. After graduation, Turner will attend either Pepperdine University or Cal State Fullerton and eventually become a secondary English teacher.
A fourth-generation graduate of Hemet High School, Thorin Johnson is looking to follow in the footsteps of his parents, both educators in the Hemet Unified School District, and become a middle school or high school math teacher. “I’ve watched the impact my parents have had on their students and have always wanted to follow their path and be a teacher,” Johnson explains. In his years at Hemet High, he has followed a challenging college-preparatory path with some of the most rigorous courses offered. “Thorin has always performed exceptionally well and is able to handle large workloads with ease,” mathematics instructor Ryan Ortiz, says. Johnson plans to attend UC Irvine in the fall and pursue a major in mathematics.
Western Center Academy senior, Thomas Mainhart, will be the first in his family to attend a 4-year college, a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly. Like many students, Mainhart struggled academically during the COVID pandemic, but he soon found his footing and his passion, history. “I didn’t want to simply read and understand history. I wanted to share it,” Mainhart says. “This is when I learned that I wanted to teach history, to share the knowledge of the past and hopefully inspire someone to take an interest in the subject,” he explains. Mainhart plans to attend Cal State San Marcos, major in history, and eventually become a middle or high school history teacher.
Even as a small child, Stephanie Charro, a senior at Tahquitz High School, dreamed of being a teacher. “I saw my teachers being so helpful to students, and it inspired me to want to be like them, to help them when they are struggling and have a positive impact on their life.,” Charro says. She’s not sure where she will begin her college journey in the fall, but she’s laser-focused on her future career as an elementary school teacher.
The CalRTA Division 33 scholarship luncheon is scheduled for Tuesday, June 6th, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Seven Hills Members Club in Hemet, with a hot lunch catered by Emilio’s Restaurant. Students are encouraged to bring their families to the celebratory luncheon, and each student will share his or her future college and career plans with those in attendance. To register for the luncheon, go to tinyurl.com/Division33Luncheon or call (951) 925-7001 or (951) 330-1568 to RSVP.
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