Paula: So to begin I want to ask how did you come to the decision of choosing to go to UCLA.

Regina: I applied to only UC's because I got the waiver but only for UC's. I don't even know if now you get waivers for private schools but I didn't. I knew very little about the college application process and my sister went to UC Berkeley. So in my mind I applied to UC Berkeley and that's where I wanted to go. And then I also applied to UCSD which I didn't want to go to UCLA which I didn't want to go to. And I think that's it. Those are the three schools I applied to which feels surprising like looking back I can't believe I didn't apply to more schools. But there was no one guiding me in the process and I got into all of the schools and I was going to go to Berkeley but my mom was sick at the time and I felt like that was too far away. And San Diego was too close so I chose UCLA.

Paula: Interesting. I probably knew but I didn't remember that you got into all the schools you applied to that's cool. What was the hardest part of college for you and how did you get through that.

Regina: Finding my people was incredibly hard in college. UCLA is not my people. I think UC Berkeley would have been much more my people. UCLA felt shallow and everything just felt all about appearance. Most of my floor in my dorm had eating disorders. Everyone was in sororities I just didn't feel like I belonged. Everyone was really nice. Like I got along with everyone and I was having fun but I just didn't feel like they were lasting friendships that I cared about. On a deeper level and so when I found the outdoor group my sophomore year that's when I finally things clicked and I felt like I did belong at UCLA. I just I had to find like navigate my way to my people.

Paula: You didn't study to be a teacher, what did you first go into before you became a teacher.

Regina: So I studied engineering. I started I started off in aerospace engineering and planning on being an astronaut very gung ho about being an astronaut. I was in the Air Force and ROTC. I did that for two years and then I did all the tests and found out that I would never be able to be an astronaut because my spine was too short by one inch which was very frustrating. And there's a lot of issues that I was having in the Air Force. That was like sexism and just things that I wasn't into. So I decided to drop out of Air Force and I decided I didn't really want to do like rocketry and nuclear weapons is what I kind of started associating aerospace engineering with. So I chose environmental engineering and I graduated with environmental engineering not teaching.

Paula:  So what was the first career you went into?

Regina: So I did engineering for like almost ten years but in the midst of that I did the Peace Corps and the Peace Corps in California, fun fact, it allows you to get a teaching credential. So I got my teaching credential through the Peace Corps and I did it retroactively. So I didn't get it at the time. And when I came to high tech high my mom reminded me that I did the Peace Corps and that I should look into it. So I was about to take the high tech high credential program and then I applied for the waiver and I got it.

Paula: What was your experience with the Peace Corps? 

Regina: The Peace Corps is amazing and I strongly encourage it. I feel like I grew up in the Peace Corps. Most most people that do it do it at a pretty young age. So almost everyone in my group was between 22 and 26. There were a few like retired people but generally it was a very young group and we had a lot of fun together. And also you're in a village where everyone looks to you as the expert as a 22 year old which is ridiculous you're no expert at twenty two and on a daily basis, my project was water and sanitation was not teaching and I was building water treatment plants but I also on the side of my project I found out how disadvantaged kids were because school was free in Honduras but it required that students had uniforms and that they had backpacks and materials and things like that. So some kids just weren't able to go to school because their parents couldn't afford uniforms. So I got together with my mom's senior class who were doing senior projects and there were a few people I partnered up with me and they fundraised and got Jansport to support it so Jansport donated a ton of backpacks, I think there are 150 backpacks donated and then two of the girls that were doing the senior project also got a bunch of fabric donated. So we made a bunch of fabric or, made a bunch of uniforms and then while they were doing all of that I had a bunch of students like I think I worked with over 100 kids. They were always just waiting for me because I didn't have times that we were having classes. It was just I would get back from whatever my job was and they would wait for me on the road and they would all just like run back to my house with me. So literally I could come in the morning I would come in the afternoon and I could come in the evening and they would always be like "Regina!!! Clase!" They ended up testing into the correct grade level. So some of them were like I had never done school were fifth graders for example so they did their entrance exams with me and got into the correct class and so that was my first experience kind of with teaching. This is very like side thing and just seeing how excited the kids were to learn and to want to be in school they just were really unfortunate circumstances led them to not be in school.

Paula: Now kind of a selfish question for that; you know how I have a very complicated relationship with being in school. Would Peace Corps be... a friend mentioned it to me briefly that you can get your teaching credential through Peace Corps and I was like I don't know like I don't really know what that's about. And so I kind of brushed it off like hearing that that's how you came to teach. Also kind of sparks my interest. Would that be something that you feel like could be beneficial for me you knowing who I am and all that.

Regina: I think Peace Corps allows you to do what you want to do. So it's not like an educational like rigorous program that says do this because I said so. It's a figure this out and you're a figure outter. So you show up at a village and you have a counterpart. So the whole goal of Peace Corps is that you figure out how you're no longer needed, so that you would be no longer needed. I would imagine you'd go into education rather than do it as a side gig so you would work at a school. Working with students daily and figuring out what the school needs. So maybe that means like you you're in a classroom with the kids or maybe I mean you're working with the teachers or maybe it's a combo and you'd have all these side things. I think I think it's an incredible opportunity that often gets overlooked and it's a very unique way to get a teaching credential.

Paula: So I guess this is probably the answer to that but what made you choose to like fully pursue education and let that be your career path.

Regina: It was actually not that I came back from the Peace Corps and I was like twenty three. I traveled for a while after college was like 23 or 24 by the time I finished Peace Corps. And I didn't get into teaching until I was like 30. So it took me a long time to figure it out. I was doing engineering for a long time and amongst my engineering jobs I would do where there be dragons which is working with kids and doing experiential education in other countries. And I just realized how much I enjoyed that job and how little I enjoyed my engineering jobs and I kept quitting my engineering jobs so that I could do that job. And then slowly it was like maybe I should try something different. And I went to high tech. And then I started teaching.

Paula: I like that, what is the most challenging vs. the most rewarding parts of being a teacher.

Regina: The schedule is both challenging and rewarding. Rewarding for the breaks and summer but challenging because there are no hours like the job that I have now I'm done at 4:00 p.m. and there's nothing that I have to take home almost ever. With teaching, you're always on, I feel like my brain was just non-stop like what can I do for the students what can I do for this specific student. How do I make sure that all of them are engaged. A thousand things going through your head at one time and I find that very challenging but it's also like an adrenaline rush and you do love it.

Paula: Because you care about the student. So it's like a good stress. It's like the good stress where you like. I'm passionate about this. That's why I'm worried. Obviously if you don't care then you would be like OK turn my brain off I'm not going to worry about these children anymore.

Regina: Yeah.

Paula: How has district work been different from classroom work. And if you prefer one why?

Regina: It's been very different. It's not working with students which I have absolutely realized is my passion. And like while I get to shut my brain off I also feel like there's like a hole now in my my heart. I feel as, I don't know. I would always talk about the students at home. I'm sure there's like not healthy things about that. But it was fun, my kids are always on my mind. And now there's a lot more separation in my work life situation. But I miss. I feel like my passion lies with working with the students. I like the idea that on the district level you can affect way more students. But I feel like maybe thats a maybe in 10 years I could do it. But right now I feel like my passion is not there yet.

Paula: That's what I've been thinking like as I've seen this if I'm like I can definitely make a bigger impact but then like seeing the impact in front of me is also very different. I'd be like oh cool my curriculum is everywhere vs like this kid is telling me something that matters. I want the kid. What has being an educator taught you.

Regina: Patience. I feel like I am the most patient person ever and it is only students that I've ever pushed me out of that. And it is a shock and I think I've only lost it twice with students and those two times. Everyone was scared. I just think kids need a lot of patience. They push the boundaries and I get that and sometimes I feel like you have to give them even more patience and it's never good to take it out on kids. And I'm learning still like giving them a guilt trip not helpful to anyone. So I tried that technique for a while, didn't get me anywhere and I heard it firsthand from you that it doesn't help. So learning every day learning that and also just how how much students can do. I think a lot of people don't give kids credit at all. And I've I've always just treated kids like adults. I'm like I'm going to play I'm going to expect this level and they do it. So I feel like especially like with things like the tiny house project that I did everyone thought I was insane. I was like Why not. Who's to say that this can't be done. And kids have always risen to that level. And so I don't know if I'm impressed by it because I expected it. But I think other people are impressed.

Paula: Yeah. What you just said reminded me of the Neil deGrasse Tyson quote that you had up like kids can do it. It's adults that are stamping it out. It's true like if you tell a kid they can do it then they'll believe in themselves and they will. What do you consider your greatest achievement. Personal and work or if they co-inside or don't.

Regina: Greatest achievement in general probably would be stuff with the Peace Corps just because some of the things I did. Again like you're just expected to be the expert. And for a while that feels very strange and you're awkward and eventually you are doing some pretty meaningful things like I built water systems for thousands of people giving them clean water. I feel like that's definitely even though I was in my early 20s it still feels like one of the best achievements I've had. And then work. I would say the tiny house project that I just feel like it was something that I saw as something I cared about. It was cool to see that kids cared about it too and figuring out how. At High tech I mean just no one cares if there's maybe this doesn't need to be said to anyone but people don't care as much about the content. I feel like there's less weight on it and I feel like I really like tying in something that kids are excited about with heavier content and I think kids were able to rise to that too just because they were actually interested in a lot of the times boys specifically really struggle in a classroom setting because they just like they don't want to sit still. But I noticed that they did a lot better because they were doing a lot of physical activity with a tiny house project and then getting them back and they were able to do it and it also gave the girls like "don't let the boys do all the like heavy lifting. You got this." I'm very proud of that one.

Paula: And last question, I'm grateful or no just blessed enough to have a mentor who actually knew me beforehand. So I can ask this. So what advice do you have for me moving forward as an adolescent who has a passion for teaching and wants to really make an impact in other teens lives in the future.

Regina: I would say don't be afraid of taking a circular route. Sometimes you can't tell if something is going to be useful but it feels right. And I also think just because you've decided that your career is teaching doesn't mean that other things can't contribute to that. So I think nothing is a straight path like just to feel confident and comfortable with trying different things because all of them will help diversify your talents. Get out of your comfort zone like I almost want to tell you don't stay in California because you keep telling me how comfortable California makes you. But some things are important. So like you're figuring out which are your deal breakers and which aren't. So I'd say push yourself out of your comfort zone in whichever ways you want to. And as often as possible to do things that are going to make you awesome and don't like pigeonhole yourself because you're like I'm going to be a ninth grade teacher. Try a lot of things.

Paula: Thank you.