Hello and Welcome! My name is Alexia Enriquez, and I am currently a graduate student at the University of San Diego working towards my M.Ed for Curriculum and Instruction for Secondary Education, as well as my teaching credentials in Social Science and English. I was born and raised in south San Diego, CA with one consistent message from my parents: “your only job is to be a good student so you can go to college.” I quickly recognized the significance of being a first generation, graduating college student. In 2014 I completed my B.A. in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), with two minors in History and Education (and Applied Psychology: Teacher Preparation). During my undergraduate career I discovered my passion for working with students as a resident assistant, where I was trained to support the academic, social, and professional development of first year college students. After graduating I went on to work full time at UCSB as an Assistant Resident Director to supervise resident assistants, desk attendants, advise student leaders, and serve as a teaching assistant for a first-year introductory course to the university.
I loved my work, but I wanted to take all I had learned to provide service and support to my own community. Furthering my education has helped me gain a better sense of my intersecting identities, my values, and future goals, and much of what I learned at the undergraduate level I believe could be positively implemented into the high school setting. As an aspiring Social Science and English teacher I hope to advocate for my students and provide a holistic and inclusive curriculum that challenges the deeply rooted Eurocentric view and experience within history and texts. As a majority of K-12 students in the area are students of color, I hope to increase their engagement by including experiences and history of their own families in order for them to personally connect with the material and feel validated. History and reading/writing material from the past can be viewed as overwhelming, disappointing, and full of mistakes we should not repeat, but I ultimately strive to have my students feeling empowered, motivated, and prepared through their own journey with my curriculum. In my free time I enjoy reading, watching tv, going to concerts, playing volleyball, engaging in challenging conversations about social justice and systems of oppression, catching a colorful sunset, and eating with friends and family. Thank you again for visiting my site! It takes a strong and committed team to successfully support each student, so please feel free to reach out to me with any feedback, comments, or opportunities for collaboration! |