Clifford, Rob

Mr. Clifford is in his second year at Animo, teaching Geometry and Algebra 2. He graduated from USC with a degree in Industrial Engineering, and received his teaching credential from CSU Dominguez Hills. His goals for the year are that ALL students pass his classes and for 100% of his 10th graders to pass the High School Exit Exam on their first try. Mr. Clifford grew up in New York City, and in his spare time likes weightlifting, hiking, and reading.

Colin, Ernesto

I am sooooooo excited and pumped to be with you in the Advisory period. We will hang out all year and I commit myself to listen to you, to backing you up and to sharing with you anything that I have that might help you have a great year. I hope you promise to give me the same. I have a lot of life to live and a lot to learn yet, but since I have been around the block a few more times than I you, I may have some tricks to help you get through. You’ll definitely get to know me better every time we meet. However, I’d like to introduce myself as briefly as I can. Hold on (*_*)!

I am a Chicano born in Redwood City , Michoacan ( Northern California ). My Parents are both from México ( Aguililla , Mich. ). I have a huge family of cousins and relatives with whom I share incredible bonds, memories, traditions and communication. I have an older sister named Nohemy and a younger brother named Rudy. My dad is a gardener for the city and my mom works in a bottling factory. They are amazing parents who always broke their backs for us, showed us our “cultura,” and told us to put education first. I honor them.

I grew up in the Bay Area and worked to get into a well-known high School in San José named Bellarmine College Prep. In High School I was involved in Community Service, Retreats, A Latino Club, Diving, Sports Medicine, Art, and all kinds of other great stuff. I did well in all my classes. My favorites were the History, Art, Literature, and Spanish classes. I even liked math and religious studies. I had cool teachers that I could always go to for help in both my personal and academic life.

Well, I started thinking about college; I got some scholarships and decided to come to LA. I attended LMU ( Loyola Marymount University ) and had the time of my life. I lived on the campus for 4 years and did a little bit of everything!: Sports, Service, Clubs, Activism, Tutoring in Lennox, Aztec Dance, Radio, Leadership, Retreats, Partying, Travel, Work, . . . you name it! I was a double major in Chican@ Studies and Spanish. I also studied Education. My professors were awesome and I did really well, well enough that I became the first Latino in LMU history to win the University’s top two awards at graduation. I was the Valedictorian and the Ignatian award winner for my graduating class. I was blessed with more than 10 other awards, the most decorated Latino in School history! . . . just for doing stuff that I loved. I had a ton of help, I must recognize.

In my last year of college, I got a scholarship to get a Masters Degree in Education. I finished that while I taught Spanish at Culver City High School . Soon after, I was asked to teach at LMU. I accepted and started teaching there and at Ánimo last year.

I came to Animo because I loved the Lennox community, because I was connected to the founding of the school and because I had heard that the students were great and the atmosphere was really positive. All of that proved to be true. I love teaching Spanish, I have a passion for the language and the culture. I love the respect shared between my the students and the colleagues I work with. I hope that this year is the same or better.

I could talk about myself for 30 more pages. Come on by and we’ll chat about my life. I will end with a list of my favorite things/things I do/etc. so you can get a sense of my interests and involvement:

àALL Sports (including Soccer, Surfing, Biking, Blading, ATVing, Snowboarding, B-ball, Volleyball, Frisbee, Racquetball, etc. etc.), Aztec dance, radio broadcasting at 88.9FM KXLU, dancing, working out, ALL types of art (favorites = film, ceramics, painting, cartooning), Indigenous cultures, Mexican and Latin American and world history, Human rights, Civil rights, art and culture, rock en español, trios, rock, norteñas, oldies, world beats, drums, mythology, books, camping, traveling (I have been to Perú, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, all of México, all over the US and have plans to go to China, Asia, more of Latin America, Africa and Europe), movies, museums, cooking, social justice, literature, cartoons, archeology, cars, poetry, and on and on.

Duran, Marco

My name is Marco Santiago Duran. I was born and raised in San Jose, Ca with my mother and father, sister, and two brothers until I moved to Los Angeles when I was 20 years old. I came to Los Angeles to finish my last two years of college at Loyola Marymount University because right after high school I attended community college for two years. Although in high school I was involved in school in terms of playing three sports which include football, soccer, and track, taking on leadership roles, and even played a role in my schools production of West Side Story, I was not completely ready to embark on the academic journey of a 4 year institute. I felt I needed time to find the confidence inside that would push me to be successful academically and in life. Luckily it worked because it was here at community college where I realized the true value of education and the true value of who I am, a Chicano.

While at LMU, I continued my journey in discovering who I am as a Chicano and on the career I would commit myself, teaching. I made the decision to major in History because I found a passion for trying to understand why things happened in our society and world. LMU became a training ground for in me in preparing myself for the future. I joined clubs such as MECHA to continue my need to further my understanding of what it means to be Chicano.

I joined mentoring and tutoring clubs to help continue my understanding of how to help young people when I teach. I involved myself in leadership roles within these clubs to help fulfill my development in the characteristics needed to lead students in the classroom. In all, I used LMU to help provide a foundation that allowed my continuous success in school and life. Overall, although this is a very brief statement about who I am, I belief the above is a very good glimpse into the person I am. It can easily explain why I am here at Animo and involve myself with the activities I do such as being the assistant coach of the Boys Varsity Soccer team, teaching US History, and trying to be there for all my students. In the end, all I can hope for is to be the best teacher, friend, son, mentor, tutor, Chicano, coach, and most importantly person that I can be.

Flores, Lisa

My name is Lisa Flores.  I grew up in Norwalk, CA with my mom and dad. I attended Saint Paul High School where I first became aware of the concept of social justice through the teachings of very proactive teachers.  During my high school years, I always loved and excelled in my English classes which would later in life prompt me to pursue my love for literature in an
academic setting.  I also enjoyed being very active in clubs and cheerleading .  After high school, I attended UC Irvine where I majored in English. 

During my four years at UCI, I became very aware of the lack of people of color on campus.  Coming from a predominately Latino community, my experience at UCI was eye opening.  I didn't understand why the campus was not more diverse.  It was this concern that inspired me to become a high school English teacher.  I wanted a job that encompassed my desire to change
university demographics and contribute to the academic success of others. Ireceived my teaching credential and MA in Secondary Education at Loyola Marymount University.  I hope to further my education and pursue a higher degree.  I love learning and the challenges it presents.

This is my fourth year teaching and my second year teaching English at Animo.  I have taught ninth and eleventh grade English.  I love working at Animo, and could not imagine teaching anywhere else.  The students here are wonderful and the staff and administration are exceptional.

Honeycutt, Gail

I have worked as an educator of one sort or another for about 30 years, and a personal mark of success is that I enjoy it more now than ever! Living and receiving my early education from my home city near the Washington, D.C. area, I came to Los Angeles after earning my Masters Degree in Special Education in 1978. Since then I have worked all over the LA area, with all sorts of students, of all ages into adulthood, and with many different special needs. Teaching is a career that can offer an enormous variety of professional possibilities, and I have grown through all such opportunities, large and small, both positive and negative.

For me, lifelong 'keys' have been enthusiasm, a willingness to continually keep learning myself, and a commitment to recognize my best support wherever & whenever it is offered. Sometimes that would be a truth and personal character coming out of one of my students; other times, it might be the laughter in a situation that is actually embarrassing, but funny enough to help me take myself less seriously (teachers can be VERY SERIOUS PEOPLE).

Support has shown up as critical feedback at moments in my life when I needed to find a deeper level of honesty within myself; and it has often come to me in the form of a friendly comment, or a moment of inspiration designed to lead me to my next steps. I have taken many, many classes and courses over my years, from psychology coursework to successful attempts at building simple furniture, with whitewater canoeing lessons somewhere in the mix!

The "life-blood" that runs throughout my years on this planet is two-fold: the first, a part of me since very early childhood, is the artwork that bubbles out from within me when I allow myself time to express this particular blessing / gift, and from whence my first degree came; and the second, or the first, as you wish, is Loving -- learning how to Love, learning how to be Loving, learning how to receive Loving, learning how to share Loving... learning that life is completely about making choices that come from the wisdom of Loving. Life-long experiences, life-long joys of the very best nature, are these 2 aspects of my "life-blood".

Finally, for those who want another sort of bibliography, here it is: I have earned a:
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking;
Montessori Credential to teach the Montessori Method;
Masters of Education, Early Childhood
Masters of Applied Psychology;
Masters of Spiritual Science;

And I am a Doctoral candidate for a Doctorate of Spiritual Science.

The more education I got, the better I became at being a successful student. The more teaching I did, the better I became at being what I would call "a good teacher" -- not an easy status to achieve, because of the commitment to self-improvement implied in being "a good teacher". It guaranteed I would have to become the best "me" I could manage.

If you meet me, you may make your own observations.
Thank you for taking the time to read.

Medrano, Sergio

My name is Mr. Sergio Medrano and I have been a part of the Animo Leadership Familia since the 2001-2002 school year. This is my second year as the 9th grade Study Skills/ Health Science/ Physical Education teacher. In addition to my teaching duties, I am currently in my second year as the Athletic Director and Boys Varsity Soccer Coach for the Aztecs. Overall, this is my sixth year as a teacher. Before arriving at Animo, I taught fourth and fifth grade at Whelan Elementary School in the Lennox School District from 1997-2001. I attended and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology. I was born and raised in Hawthorne California and am of Mexican decent. My father is from Zacatecas Mexico and my mother is from Durango Mexico.

Robinson, Craig

I joined the Navy after high school because I wanted to be a Navy S.E.A.L. I was accepted into the training and completed most of it (even "Hell Week"). Due to an injury, I had to drop out of training two months before graduation. After my operation, I spent the rest of my term (2 years) on a destroyer and sailed all over the world. I have sailed to Alaska , Canada , Hawaii , Japan , Korea , Thailand , Phillipines, Hong Kong , & Austrailia. 

After the Navy, I went to film school at USC and earned a BFA in Film Writing. I was in some plays, made some student films, and wrote many screenplays. I worked in Hollywood for the William Morris Agency , a top talent agency, for several years after film school. Working in Hollywood was very exciting and glamorous, but I knew there was something else more meaningful that I needed to accomplish in my life. I really wanted to use my creativity and abilities to teach others, to help others grow, and give back to our community.

So, I joined the Teach For America program and went back to school. I earned a multiple subject teaching credential, a single subject teaching credential from CSUDH, and a M.S. Education in Learning and Curriculum from USC.

I taught first grade for three years in Compton and now teach at Animo. I love Animo, the students, the families, and the freedom I have to use my expertise as a teacher and my experience as a person to enable my students to be successful.

Surf Club and Drama Club rule!

Rosales, Erica

I chose to pursue my education career in Los Angeles because this is where I grew up.  As a high school student I always aimed to make a difference in my community.  At the forefront I had the desire to gain a valuable college education away from sunny California. When I graduated from J.A. Garfield High School in 1995 my goals took me as far as Massachusetts. 

In 1999 I was conferred a bachelor of arts in Political Science and Spanish from Wellesley College.  That same year I moved back to Los Angeles to begin a masters and credential program at the University of California, Los Angeles. While in the Teacher Education Program at UCLA I learned of the plans to create this charter school.  I immediately jumped on board and made it one of my goals!

In the year 2001 I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. Today, three years later I continue to pursue excellence through my students.  I am making a difference in my community, and hope that our students realize their potential to make a difference also.

Ruiz, Maritza

My name is Maritza Ruiz and I am the Chemistry teacher. I grew up in Pico Rivera with my parents and my older brother. I graduated from El Rancho High School, where I participated in many school plays, student government, and was captain of the tennis team. I went on to Loyola Marymount University where I majored in Biochemistry. This is my first year teaching at Animo and it has been a great experience. My future goal is to return to school and become a physician, maybe even open my own practice one day.

Simmons, Mara

After studying politics at UC Santa Cruz, Mara Simmons returned to Los Angeles , her home city to discover the wonders of teaching.  After serving as a substitute teacher for Inglewood School district she decided to pursue a full time teaching position.  Pasadena Unified School District hired her to teach middle school math/science at Wilson Middle School .  After three years, she returned to her alma mater, 32^nd Arts Magnet in LAUSD to teach math/science and humanities.  While teaching, she worked on her teaching credential at Cal State Dominguez Hills (CSUDH).  Due to the collaborative nature of 32^nd St. she was inspired to pursue administration by the site principal.  While finishing up a masters degree at CSUDH in education with an emphasis in curriculum, she completed the necessary course work for her administrative credential.  She came to Lennox as the middle school assistant principal for curriculum in 1997.  Mara moved to the high school level in 2001 as principal of Animo Leadership Charter High School while working on her doctoral degree at Claremont University .  Her interests besides students and her studies include the arts, gardening and her family.

Vargas, Gerard

I was born and raised in Hawthorne, California.  Throughout my childhood, I was very fortunate to have my parents always push me into pursuing a strong education.  Money was no issue even though my father had to support his wife and other children.  My father paid for private school (St. Joseph School) all the way up until my first year of high school(St. Bernard H.S.).  I later enrolled enrolled at CAMS (California Academy of Math and Science) where I continued to study more science.  The hard part during this time was seeing my best friends, who were not as school oriented as myself, fall into the vices of gangs and drugs.  They kept on telling me that school was for nerds and that there were other ways to make money like opening up some type of business.  I concluded that with an education, I would have many more options guaranteed than my friends.  I maintained good grades and studied at UCLA where I graduated with a degree in Physiological Science.  During my college experience, I really did not know what I wanted to do.  I chose a major that was aimed strictly towards medical school.

After many internships and other medical related experiences, I realized that medicine was not for me.  I loved counseling and tutoring many college students who came from disadvantaged backgrounds.  I did this for three years and after I graduated, I began teaching academic enrichment classes for a non-profit agency known as STAR, inc.  I loved teaching and seeing students finally understand something that they never thought they would. However, I wanted to go back to my community and do something that is not easy, make an impact in students' lives that would motivate them towards academic success and beyond.  When I came to Animo, I was ready for the challenge.  Everyday I live up to my commitment of creating more leaders that will return to their community to do the same.  Ten years from now, I still see myself involved in teaching somehow, whether it is at an administrative level, university level, or some other form where I keep the motivation of students in science and academics.  No matter what, I have discovered what my passion is, the thing that most people spend years doing in their lives, educating.

 

Obinma, P.