Teachers’ roles in society are very much tied to the multiple roles of our education system: to help prepare good democratic citizens, to help provide students with the skills to participate in the economy, and to help provide students with opportunities for social mobility. However, I think it’s also essential to recognize that teachers play a role in raising children for a fraction of every day and can therefore make dramatic differences in the lives of individual students.”
Luis’s Story
Teaching Discipline
Physics and Chemistry
Why Physics and Chemistry
“The physical sciences, physics and chemistry, are the closest of the core science disciplines to mechanical engineering. I was drawn to mechanical engineering because I always liked building things, particularly robots. That ultimately led me to learn a lot of physics and chemistry as I completed my undergraduate studies. Physics helps engage students in understanding the core scientific principles about how the universe works, from the subatomic to the cosmic scale. Chemistry helps students more deeply understand the atomic scale in order to produce desired chemicals or changes in energy for a variety of applications including engines, materials, and ecological systems. Understanding both is key to being able to design and work with the sheer range of machines humans use in our daily lives.”
Professional Experience
During the summer of 2014, Luis interned at Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Akashi, Japan. During his internship, he helped design train suspension control systems.
After he completed his degree at Stanford, Luis taught math and science in middle school on an emergency credential during the 2015–2016 school year. He ultimately decided to leave at the end of the year to pursue a master’s degree and a teaching credential in order to improve his teaching practice and focus on high school physics and chemistry education, the subjects that he was more passionate about teaching.
Luis will begin teaching at Franklin High School during the 2019–2020 school year.
Volunteer Experience
Luis volunteers doing outreach and undergrad admissions interviews for Stanford University. He is also an assistant coach for the Franklin High School Science Olympiad team.
Hobbies
Luis enjoys running. His primary research interests tend to focus on race and education, particularly critical studies perspectives on race/class/gender, raciolinguistics, and culturally relevant/sustaining pedagogies.
Academic Background
- University of California, Berkeley (Master of Arts in Teacher Education)
- Stanford University (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering)