Rene Agustin - Geometry
rene.agustin@animo.org

I was born at the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in Watts to a family of immigrant parents who came from Oaxaca, Mexico. My parents, poor and struggling, always emphasized the importance of an education. My father only made it to the 6th grade and my mother to the 9th and they both knew that they wanted a better situation for their children. Since education is free here in the USA and not in Mexico, it was apparent that they would make the move while they were still able to. As I grew up in Watts, I attended both Gompers MS and Locke HS. When I became a senior I made the choice of attending the University of California, Santa Barbara in order to receive a different experience.

At UCSB, I decided to study the course that I loved and was very successful at, Mathematics. Becoming a mathematician was not easy but it was rewarding. While at UCSB, I took several courses in the Black Studies department. Those courses really showed me the importance of being socially active and being a leader within my own community. Santa Barbara opened my eyes to the social inequities that are very relevant in today’s society. I felt that I would have the greatest impact in the community that I came from. I decided that I would become a teacher and give the students a role model that they can relate to. I first taught at Bret Harte MS for one and half years and now I have made my return to Locke.

I am extremely excited to finally be back home at Locke. I will make it a priority of mine to always prepare the best lessons and provide the most support I can for all of the students of our school. ONCE A SAINT!! ALWAYS A SAINT!!