A little part of my story...
My four-legged side kick.
I spent my first 12 years of my childhood living in Koreatown, later moving to the San Gabriel Valley with my mother. I attended Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School, a single five-story building located along the outskirts of Boyle Heights, which is nestled between Downtown LA and Alhambra.
After high school, I attended UCLA and graduated with a B.S. degree in Psychobiology, and a minor degree in Gerontology. Now, many people have gone up to me and asked why I went into teaching and not medicine or something else more lucrative. If you read my education background, going into the medical or health field was a no brainer, right? Well, read on, and you might just find an answer.
My beginnings as a teacher started at the least expected place....USC. Gasp! If you know the historical rivary between UCLA and USC, then you should know why. To make a long story short, I worked 2 years as a lead science facilitator for the USC Med-COR program, teaching biology, life science, and Algebra to inner-city high school and middle school students from LAUSD. It was my mental escape from all that intense studying, writing, and researching from school. Teaching's a rewarding experience, and I was constantly having fun on the job. How many people can honestly say that they LOVE what they do and get paid for it?
So, one day, while I was studying for my pharmacology final during my 45 minute break, a Med-COR mentor teacher from Belmont High pulled up a chair and sat right next to me. He leaned over and asked, "Pre-med, huh?" I gave out a sigh, and replied, "Maybe." Then he continued, "You know, doctors save lives, but teachers shape lives. Just thought I'd share that with you." He stood up, smiled, and walked away. Something about what he said really sparked a fire within me, and so, here I am. Even years later, when I get reminded of that very same quote, it still brings a warm smile in my heart.
After college, I took 6 months hiatus from school, and then enrolled and completed my teacher credentialing program at CSULA. Everything happened like clockwork, and during that same summer, I was hired to teach science at Mark Keppel High School.
I am starting my 18th year as an Aztec, and I've taught a range of science classes, including 17 years of Biology, 13 years of AP Biology, 4 years of Human Physiology, and 5 years of Statistics (YES! I am also a math teacher, as well.)
So...what do I do besides teach, you ask? I love to READ! So during summer vacation, I make it a mission to catch up with a few good reads from the latest New York Times Best Sellers list. I am a closet foodie, with a particular interest for hole-in-the-wall and hidden gems. I have a broad range of interests, (i.e. skiing, kayaking, volleyball, technology, etc...), and as long as it's challenging and it keeps me engaged and learning, then it will have my undivided attention.
That's a little snippet about my story. Now, I look forward to learning about yours. So, let the adventure begin!
After high school, I attended UCLA and graduated with a B.S. degree in Psychobiology, and a minor degree in Gerontology. Now, many people have gone up to me and asked why I went into teaching and not medicine or something else more lucrative. If you read my education background, going into the medical or health field was a no brainer, right? Well, read on, and you might just find an answer.
My beginnings as a teacher started at the least expected place....USC. Gasp! If you know the historical rivary between UCLA and USC, then you should know why. To make a long story short, I worked 2 years as a lead science facilitator for the USC Med-COR program, teaching biology, life science, and Algebra to inner-city high school and middle school students from LAUSD. It was my mental escape from all that intense studying, writing, and researching from school. Teaching's a rewarding experience, and I was constantly having fun on the job. How many people can honestly say that they LOVE what they do and get paid for it?
So, one day, while I was studying for my pharmacology final during my 45 minute break, a Med-COR mentor teacher from Belmont High pulled up a chair and sat right next to me. He leaned over and asked, "Pre-med, huh?" I gave out a sigh, and replied, "Maybe." Then he continued, "You know, doctors save lives, but teachers shape lives. Just thought I'd share that with you." He stood up, smiled, and walked away. Something about what he said really sparked a fire within me, and so, here I am. Even years later, when I get reminded of that very same quote, it still brings a warm smile in my heart.
After college, I took 6 months hiatus from school, and then enrolled and completed my teacher credentialing program at CSULA. Everything happened like clockwork, and during that same summer, I was hired to teach science at Mark Keppel High School.
I am starting my 18th year as an Aztec, and I've taught a range of science classes, including 17 years of Biology, 13 years of AP Biology, 4 years of Human Physiology, and 5 years of Statistics (YES! I am also a math teacher, as well.)
So...what do I do besides teach, you ask? I love to READ! So during summer vacation, I make it a mission to catch up with a few good reads from the latest New York Times Best Sellers list. I am a closet foodie, with a particular interest for hole-in-the-wall and hidden gems. I have a broad range of interests, (i.e. skiing, kayaking, volleyball, technology, etc...), and as long as it's challenging and it keeps me engaged and learning, then it will have my undivided attention.
That's a little snippet about my story. Now, I look forward to learning about yours. So, let the adventure begin!
© 2020 M. Ng
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.