Aspire Teacher Residency Bay Area at Alder GSE

Mentor, Cohort 2018–2019
School: Aspire Richmond Technology Academy
Residents: Ciara Jacob and Jimmy Chiu
Years as a mentor: Two

What is your hometown? Stockton, California

What college(s) did you attend? UC Irvine and UC Davis

What degree(s) did you earn? Bachelor’s in Sociology and Psychology and Social Behavior and a Master’s in Education

What inspired you to teach? I have been working in education since I was 19. It started with being around my cousins all of the time, babysitting, and watching them grow and develop. I believe that education was the only way my brother, myself, and my cousins were able to achieve so much in our lives. My parents and my aunts and uncles do not have college degrees. With the help of each other and support from our parents and teachers, we all have college degrees.

What inspired you to be a mentor for the Alder Teacher Residency Program? I’ve had the best mentors who pushed me and molded me into the teacher I am today. I want to provide guidance to new teachers and help them along their teacher paths, just like my mentors did for me.