For the last 20 years, Hector Tijerina has worked for La Joya ISD, much of his past work at Domingo Treviño Middle School shaping his current identity to what it is now. He currently teaches Business Information Management at Jimmy Carter Early College, ensuring that he is satisfied with this new position and life path.
“I enjoyed teaching middle school kids; I enjoyed teaching the students at the middle school I worked at,” Tijerina said. “But the reason why I came here was because I wanted to move on to more advanced things. I was ready to teach students business here, and I wanted to work at a higher level.”
Tijerina says that the environment at Jimmy Carter is a lot different than what he was accustomed to. As a school working with South Texas College, one of the main priorities at the campus is its dual enrollment courses.
“Seeing something like a seventh grader and a sophomore one year to the next feels like such a big difference. Kids grow up and mature, so next thing you know, they’re busy worrying about their college classes,” Tijerina said. “Since the campus is so big on that, I figured that a computer class could be a time for students to work at their own pace and relax from that stress.”
As of now, Tijerina says he feels like he’s made it to the place where he’s always wanted to be after three years of working hard.
“I’m certified to teach several things, but I’m enjoying this job that I’ve finally gotten,” Tijerina says.
Whether for the next 10 or 15 years, Tijerina wants to work harder than before and says he wants to see where the future will take him from here.