Alumni Spotlight: Candice Aguirre
Science Teacher at Marin’s Community School in Marin County
Major & Concentration:
UCSC B.S. Marine Biology, 2004; CSUF Credential Program, 2015
What are you doing now?
I am in my seventh year of teaching science. I am entering my fourth year at Marin’s Community School, an Alternative Education public school that serves 7th-12th graders from Marin County. Additionally, I am the president of the Marin County Educators Association, which is the local union for my district. I also recently wrapped up my second year as an Advisory Board Member for the Explore the Coast (ETC) grant. My duties included reviewing and recommending applications that best served the criteria to expand access to the California coast for ETC Priority Communities. Priority communities include (but certainly are not limited to) lower-income households, indigenous youth, people with disabilities, people of color, immigrant communities and foster youth.
What were you involved with at Cal State Fullerton?
I was a part of the AIMS Scholar program, which is designed to train math, science, and special education teachers. I received support from the CSUF Mathematics and Science Teachers Initiative (MSTI) which helps new teachers become more effective in the classroom.
How did Cal State Fullerton prepare you for your current career?
As a science teacher at an alternative public school with predominately students of color from low-income and marginalized communities, Cal State Fullerton prepared me by challenging me with a rigorous education and surrounding me with supportive faculty and staff. My education and experiences at CSUF pushed me to grow in areas where I had not believed I could see myself and also helped me build a community of peers with whom I am still connected more than 10 years post-college. I walked away from CSUF knowing I needed to hold myself and others like me to high standards while building a community of belonging and safety. My experiences set the foundation as I transitioned into teaching science in a secondary public education setting and helped me set high standards and rigorous curriculum while building community for all of my students. My grasp of the science practices and science content enabled me to launch into a successful public school teaching career. I often still return to Dr. Bill Hoese’s instructional practices as a guide for my own teaching.
What advice would you give to incoming, current, or graduating biology students?
Find your community, immediately. We are social beings, and the safety net of a community, whomever this might encompass for you, is one of the keys to success. Be honest and communicative with your professors, email them often, and visit office hours to clarify your understanding and make connections. Find groups/clubs on campus (or off) to feed your whole self. We are multi-faceted beings and you must honor your own needs and interests while in a discipline that demands much from you. If you are working in a lab and the faculty lead in the lab is not someone you are working well with, request a change. My biggest regret is not being confident and strong enough to ask for change. It is OKAY to change so that you are in a setting that sets you up for success. To graduating students, maintain your network and connections. Seek novel positions that connect with your qualifications and experiences. Be willing to embrace change, whether this means locations, careers, or something else. I moved from Southern California to Sonoma County and changed the type of school setting I was serving, which was the best thing I have done! Do not accept being boxed into a particular field, career or niche. You will have built many skills by this time that can launch you into who you are meant to be in this life.
What are the pros and cons of your career?
Pros:
I love the interactions and relationships I have built with students who formerly were often kicked out of class.
I love hearing, “Ms. A, this is the first time I get science.”
I look forward to planting Fast Plants, culturing bacteria, running a gel electrophoresis lab and seeing the wonder and hearing curious questions and explanations.
I love including social justice issues in my units like climate change, water quality, air pollution and more.
I love when we go outside and sketch what we observe and I see every student engaged and kneeling down to more closely examine a plant, insect or fungus.
My students get to broaden their worlds and are surrounded by a loving and safe community to which they belong.
Cons:
The structural inequities built into the social structure lead to the outcomes of a public school like mine, which is meant to provide a safety net for some students in the school to prison pipeline.
The struggles of our students are heavy, intense and lead to some difficult choices and behaviors, which can be very difficult emotionally.
