✨ Cherishing the final moments of an unforgettable year at JCECHS! From heartfelt goodbyes to spontaneous laughter, every snapshot tells a story of growth, friendship, and endless memories. Here’s to the incredible journey we’ve shared and the bright futures ahead! #JCECHS #EndOfYear #Memories 🎉📸
✨ Cherishing the final moments of an unforgettable year at JCECHS! From heartfelt goodbyes to spontaneous laughter, every snapshot tells a story of growth, friendship, and endless memories. Here’s to the incredible journey we’ve shared and the bright futures ahead! #JCECHS #EndOfYear #Memories 🎉📸
✨ Cherishing the final moments of an unforgettable year at JCECHS! From heartfelt goodbyes to spontaneous laughter, every snapshot tells a story of growth, friendship, and endless memories. Here’s to the incredible journey we’ve shared and the bright futures ahead! #JCECHS #EndOfYear #Memories 🎉📸
Mrs. Ochoa’s academic journey is a testament to her unwavering dedication. She holds an associate’s degree in Interdisciplinary studies from STC, a Bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Texas Pan American, and a Master’s degree in creative writing from UTRGV. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from the same college, showcasing her relentless pursuit of knowledge.
What truly sets Mrs. Ochoa apart is her unwavering positivity.
Ochoa views education as a grand, lifelong journey, a “platform to ignite students’ thirst for knowledge. Her optimism and passion are evident in her unwavering support for her students, creating a nurturing classroom environment.
She has been a teacher for 16 years in the district of La Joya.
A memorable moment that my teacher has and will always remember is when, during her first year of teaching, one student ended up pursuing the same path that she went through. That student got a bachelor’s degree in communication, and it just made her feel good that she taught a student who felt inspired to pursue the same path that Mrs. Ochoa went through.
The teacher has always been interested in pop culture, and that influences the way she teaches in a big way. That interest makes her teaching styles fun and interactive, and they include themes/topics that students enjoy. That influence makes students like her more as a teacher since she doesn’t use doesn’t boring teaching methods; instead, she uses methods that make the class enjoyable.
Mrs. Ochoa says, “I feel like I’ve always been a teacher at heart.” As the eldest sibling in her family, she has always tended to help and care for her family and others.
Being a teacher has shaped her perspective on education. Mrs. Ochoa says, “Being a teacher inspires me to always have perspective for my students and to have an open mind because the world that we live in today is very fast-paced.”
From orange picking to a Whataburger employee to a business teacher, hard work is a staple of Torres’ life. Her academic journey is one of dedication, novelty seeking, and time management.
Since she was 13 years old Torres picked oranges with her family on Saturdays and Sundays while simultaneously going to school during the week.
“My biggest challenge is that I never had the privilege of only focusing on my academics,” Torres said. “When I was 17, I decided that I didn’t want that for me, that I’m not somebody who wants to work in hard labor.”
Torres holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in business administration. Becoming an accountant was her initial goal, and she became a Lone Star National Bank auditor. It was not until one of the state auditors came to audit the bank that Torres realized teaching was a skill of hers.
“It was after I got out of school that I wanted to be a teacher,” Torres said. “I did accounting as an auditor for seven years, and while I was there, someone told me that I’d be good as a teacher. So, I said, ‘Let me give it a shot.’”
Torres was hesitant to apply her accounting skills to teaching because she thought no school offered any business classes other than business information management. Still, to her surprise, some schools provided marketing, management, and accounting positions.
Torres now works as a BIM teacher, practicum of entrepreneurship, and as a dual enrollment business instructor at Jimmy Carter Early College High School. She said her past taught her about hard work and that there is no bad job if it pays the bills, and you give it your 100%.
“I like to say business is one of the best careers you can go into,” Torres said. “It’s so vast. There are endless possibilities.” “Every business out there needs an accountant, a manager, and people who studied business. And if you want to be a teacher, that’s also a possibility for you. Just like me.”
The Unexpected Teacher: From Engineer to Educator
Accredited with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s of Science in Mathematics Teaching, Mila Obnial shares her journey into what led her to become a teacher.
Upon migrating to America, Obnial was unable to continue pursuing her career in engineering leading to her teaching career.
“When we migrated over here to America, it was my husband’s decision for us to stay here in the valley,” Obnial said. “I can only work as a teacher because as an engineer, there wasn’t much opening for me, so in other words I didn’t have any option but to teach.”
However, from an unexpected circumstance, Obnial grew to love teaching. Beginning her teaching career in the Philippines by teaching college students, allowed Obnial to feel better by having teaching be her best option.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching,” Obnial said. “I have always loved to teach.” “Teaching Mathematics was good since it is related to engineering because most of the subjects in engineering are mathematics, so I thought that I could do it well.”
Obnial holds a strong passion for teaching and is sure most of her students see that in her.
Obnial seeks to keep her student’s best interests in mind. She studies different approaches in teaching and adapts her approach depending on the type of students she has. However, this does not mean she doesn’t face any challenges.
“I had to study the culture of the students that I had, so that was a great challenge,” Obnial said. “Another challenge was knowing what to do with students who are always present but don’t pass the class, or students who have been very good at math, but don’t come to class. Those are the difficulties that I faced. I had to adapt to whatever was best for the students.”
No matter what challenges Obnial faces, she can find rewarding moments throughout her teaching career. Students who claim to not like math, but end up putting a bit of interest in it, are students who make teaching a much better experience for Obnial.
“Those are positive things for me to move on,” Obnial said. “If I could only have one student per semester, who would turn out to have almost no understanding of mathematics and end up passing their TSI and getting a good ACT score, that would be a blessing for me.”
Rewarding moments have shaped Obnial’s teaching career and her perspective on education. It isn’t just academic success that Obnial values. Through her teaching journey, she realized the impact of building relationships with her students.
“I would rather have a student who would remember me as a person, maybe not as a teacher, but as someone whom they can talk to and rely on,” Obnial said. “In other words, it is a relationship that is being built that I would prefer over the things that they learned in class.”
Obnial’s journey from an engineer to an inspiring educator shows that with passion, perseverance, and an unexpected turn of events, she grew to love her journey as an educator and enjoyed every step of it.
Rewind: Principal Claudia Gomez-Perez sits alone in the student union area, marking the start of the 2020-2021 school year with remote learning. This quiet beginning for the class of 2024 starkly contrasts the school’s typically busy atmosphere.
NHS Plans Teacher Appreciation Week Luncheon
Guiding Students Through Mathematics: Mr. Hinojosa
Mr. Hinojosa is a Sophomore math teacher who has a passion for educating students and inspiring them to do their best in their education and lifestyle decisions. Mr. Hinojosa has achieved many challenges to get where he is today.
He originally graduated with a Bachelor’s in electrical engineering from UTRGV, Mr. Hinojosa’s journey into teaching wasn’t a predetermined path. However, his desire to help others with his knowledge of mathematics moved him into the realm of education. “It was a natural thing for me to do because I just liked helping people with any math problems.” he stated.
“I always liked to teach people how to do math problems because I always got them right away,” Mr. Hinojosa reminisces; he’s reflecting on the countless hours spent helping peers grasp the intricacies of mathematics since his grade school days. “It was always in me to help people out.”
His teaching began 14 years ago at La Joya High School, where he taught young minds. Fast forward to the present, and Mr. Hinojosa finds himself in his fourth year at Jimmy Carter, relishing the collaborative spirit among colleagues. “What I like about working here in Jimmy Carter is the way the teachers work together,” he beams. “I felt like I was in a team, and that’s one thing that I like.”
But Mr. Hinojosa’s educational journey didn’t stop with his engineering degree. In 2020, he embarked on a new chapter, earning a Masters in mathematics teaching from none other than Harvard University. Reflecting on his time at Harvard, he notes how it broadened his perspective on mathematics education, allowing him to tailor his teaching methods to accommodate diverse learning styles.
Beyond the classroom, Mr. Hinojosa is serving as the sponsor of the Alpha Delta Mathematics Honor Society and when asked about his advice to students, his words resonate with wisdom and encouragement: “Never give up on the things you really want.”
For Mr. Hinojosa, the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher lies in the heartfelt gratitude of his students. “I like when the students just come to me and say thank you for helping them and pushing them to be successful,” he confides.
As he continues to teach mathematical proficiency to his students, Mr. Hinojosa remains a loyal person of support, guiding them toward their goals with unwavering determination and boundless enthusiasm.
