El Dorado Welcomes New Teachers

Evelyn Lee: Orchestra

College:

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Degree Earned:

Masters in Music Education.

What excites you about working at EDHS?

The friendly faces of faculty, staff, and students.

Why are you an educator?

Because I was once a student who was lost and was saved by great teachers who motivated me to continue pursuing music.

Amber Lopes: ASPIRE

College:

CSU Bakersfield

Degrees earned:

BS in Kinesiology

Single Subject Teaching Credential- Physical Education

Education Specialist Credential- Mild/Moderate

What excites you about working at EDHS?

"I am excited to work at El Dorado for many reasons. I love meeting new people, so being new on campus I am exposed to new faces daily whether it’s students, staff or parents. I am also excited to be part of the Golden Hawks family. I am looking forward to impacting my students' lives in a positive way as well as implementing the common core curriculum. I am so happy to have a classroom that is new, clean and pretty high tech. I cannot wait to incorporate the SMART Board and all the other neat technology in my classroom into my lessons. I am expecting and looking forward to a year full of excitement and interacting with great people."

Why are you an educator?

"I am an educator because I enjoy serving people. I genuinely care about the success of others, and want to help them succeed. Providing knowledge is one of the most important tools for success in life. With knowledge, we are able to pursue the many different avenues in life and careers. What motivates me to be an educator is for the “ah-ha” moment. It’s that moment where a student makes the connection, and completely understands the lesson I am teaching. Being an educator is one of the most important tasks, because we are providing children with a powerful resource, so they can have a future in something that sparks their interest. I want to be the person who helps motivate, encourage, and develop a child when that spark of interest has risen or a certain talent emerges. In society today, a child needs this encouragement to be successful and stay focused. Being a part of something important like the Education Field is crucial to my life’s fulfillment."

Justin Lopez: SERVE

College/Degrees earned:

"I started at Fullerton college, transferred to Hope International University and earned a B.S. in Human Development, then a M.S. in Educational Counseling with a PPS credential from Azuza Pacific University."

Related Experience:

"I've worked with kids since I was a teenager but have worked for PYLUSD since Dec. 99'. I started as a Campus Supervisor at Tuffree then moved to Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) as a SERVE Instructor and have been at Esperanza for the past 8 years."

What excites you about working at EDHS?

"I am excited to be at El Dorado! As a Campus Supervisor I would often visit ELDO to check how my old kids were doing. My wife was a full-inclusion aid and followed her student to ELDO which gave me another excuse to visit. And lastly my brother Rick Lopez taught SERVE at ELDO for a number of years and would share with me how much he loved his time there."

Why are you an educator?

"Both my parents spent many years in education and instilled the value of serving others into us at a very young age. I have been humbled by the number of people who have invested in me over the years and it is privilege to do the same for our youth, especially in SERVE, a program my father started over 20 years ago."

Lindsay Stotts: Science

College/Degrees earned:

Cal State San Bernardino, B.S. in Chemistry with a Biochemistry Option

University of Southern California, M.A. in Education, Single Subject Credential in Chemistry & Biology

Worked 7 years in environmental labs and pharmaceutical labs.

What excites you about working at EDHS?

"The staff is welcoming, supportive, and I can't wait to be a part of the Hawks family! I love the high expectations of excellence from both the students and staff, and the continual effort put forth by all to best prepare the students of El Dorado High School."

Why are you an educator?

"I am an educator because after working in the private sector I figured out that I was not positively impacting anyone or making a difference. Ever since I was young I have wanted to be a teacher, I used to pretend to be a teacher, and I was thrilled when everything worked out for me to finally fulfill my ultimate lifelong dream of being a science teacher. I wanted to be positively impacting students, making a difference for them, and inspiring students to love science, as my science teachers did for me. I want to give back and do something meaningful for others."