Stephanie Esquivel: A glimpse into my life

Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie Esquivel and this is my senior year at Chico State. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher but was so often discouraged that I came to Chico as a biology major. After 3 semesters I came to the realization that I would never be happy in my major and made the best choice for myself and switch to liberal studies. Being in a major I loved restored my love for learning and this is the type of enjoyable learning environment I want to provide for my students. My goal in life is to teach 3rd grade in the Bay Area where I was born and raised. Growing up in the Bay Area allowed me the oppurtunity to grow up in a diverse and accepting environment that has shaped me to be the person I am today.

Growing up I always considered myself to be a reader because I thoroughly enjoyed reading in every  spare moment I had. My 3rd grade teacher introduced me to my favorite children’s author Lemony Snickets and I would read his books until they fell apart. My love for reading diminished over the years when I went from pleasure reading to academic reading and I find this to be a common problem. I would still consider myself a reader because although I do not always have time for it I really enjoy it and am able to process and connect with what I read. Reading is a way to submerge yourself into a different world or way of thought and I hope to establish a deep love of reading and learning in my future students.