Career Path Of A History Teacher Adjunct Professor At SAGE Magnet Cerro Coso College

Sure. I've had a pretty diverse career path. When I started off, I was just a high school student, a first-generation student with no real path. I had my children in high school and joined the military to provide a better life for them.

I finished high school so they could follow my footsteps. When I got out of the military, I had benefits. I joined the US Navy and they gave me my GI Bill. I used my GI Bill to go to Grossmont College in San Diego.

I still didn't really have a path, but with veterans benefits, you have to speak with a VA counselor. They can help you figure out what you like and what you want to do, and they have benefits for specific classes. It's really helpful to meet with the veterans coordinator or EOP.

My career path started at community college, transferring to a four-year university at San Diego State. I was a transfer student and chose Kinesiology, Food, and Nutrition. I loved sports and ran track and field, which kept me out of trouble and focused with my kids.

I faced a barrier in higher education when an instructor made a racist comment. I was so busy and overwhelmed trying to finish school that I couldn't emotionally handle it. I changed my major from Kinesiology to Criminal Justice so I could graduate as a first-generation graduate.

After graduating with a Criminal Justice Administration degree, it wasn't my passion. It was paramilitary. I went to a job fair where the Department of Corrections was recruiting. I had to take the job for survival, as I had kids and was graduating.

I would tell other students to pursue their passion, especially if they don't have the worries of being a single parent. There are so many resources available now. Don't let the structural system in America dictate your path; follow your passion.

I always wanted to be a teacher too. I did Teach for America briefly but had emotional and social issues with American classrooms. After getting my bachelor's and working as an officer in prisons in 2006, I learned about correctional counselors.

I realized I'd rather be a counselor and work with people. I didn't want to be an officer or enforce a system; I wanted to serve people. I wanted to get closer to those incarcerated and understand why so many were from one community.

In 2006, after the 90s, many neighborhoods faced heavy policing. Students suspended or kicked out of school ran into police and ended up in California prisons for non-violent drug crimes. When I became a counselor and read their files, I became very curious.

I wanted my master's in Criminology, Law, and Society to understand why this was happening in California, such a rich and educated state. I got my Master's at the University of California, Irvine, in Criminology, Law, and Society.

I met many people in the criminal justice system—federal, county, and local—cops, courts, corrections. They were already in their careers, and it opened doors to federal law enforcement, county sheriff's departments, and local city police departments. They hire ex-military quickly because you're already trained and alert.

I met many ex-military individuals and liked the culture. As a counselor, I missed that culture but got to read probation officer reports. This made me want to go into education because I saw so many young, Black and brown individuals in prison who had been kicked out of school.

They all needed education, a GED, or a diploma. I wondered why so many young people from the same neighborhood weren't finishing high school and ended up in prison for non-violent offenses. After my master's from UCI, I went to UCLA.

I believe they accepted me because I was expressing that something was wrong. In the education program, they agreed. I joined the Urban Education program, earning my Master's in Urban Education, Secondary Social Science.

This is a great path in California because we need teachers. We need teachers who work with adults in prison lacking education and those in public schools in urban areas dealing with violence. Teachers are needed who know restorative justice practices and understand the need for healing.

If you care about serving people, public service in an urban public school might be most fulfilling. If you want to teach but avoid heavy issues, I worked temporarily in more privileged private schools, but it wasn't for me. I prefer public service because I relate.

I'm first-generation, and my family had issues. My mom was a single parent, my brothers raised themselves, got kicked out of school, and eventually got their GEDs. I was the only one who graduated high school; my brothers had the same issues.

You need to be passionate. I was passionate about teaching people from similar backgrounds. I currently work for a public school in Palmdale, California, where 97% of students have free and reduced meals.

These students often come from deprived backgrounds, foster homes, or are homeless, or have language barriers. I love my class and students because their voices need to be heard. They're used to being told what to do, rather than being listened to about their lives.

It's public schools, tax dollars, and the students' lives. They should be able to find their creative streak. I enjoy teaching history and also teach part-time as an adjunct for community college administration of justice at the prison.

This is part of rehabilitation programs for adults who get time off their sentences for completing their education. I work for Cerro Coastal College doing that as an adjunct. You go into the prison three hours a week to teach your area of expertise.

If you want to work with adults in community college, get your adult credential. I had a lot of education experience and two master's degrees, making me eligible. You can teach if you have a master's in those areas. I could have gone straight from college to an adult education credential and then taught at the prison for community college.