Aspire Teacher Residency Bay Area at Alder GSE
Mentor, Cohort 2018–2019
School: Aspire Monarch Academy
Residents: Nelly Martinez, Daisy Acosta
Years as a mentor: Two
What is your hometown? Oakland, California
What college(s) did you attend? Saint Mary’s College of California
What degree(s) did you earn? Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies with a minor in Spanish, Master of Arts in Teaching
What inspired you to teach? I never had a life-changing teacher or a good experience in school growing up. I can’t remember a teacher who I could say made me love school. I wanted students who grew up in communities similar to mine to know that their teachers believed in them and loved them and that school was somewhere to look forward to coming to each day.
What inspired you to be a mentor for the Alder Teacher Residency Program? I love teaching so much and I love the relationships I create with my students and their families. I wanted to be able to cultivate that passion in others who want to do the same work—to help bring more teachers into our communities who love to be there for the students and their families.