Instead of me explaining things to my students, Knowles Teacher Initiative helped make sure my students are the ones explaining things to each other and to me.”
Victor’s Story
Victor’s journey to becoming an educator began as a doctoral student. While doing research in biomedical engineering, he realized he did not want to spend the rest of his life working in a lab so he began visiting classrooms and volunteering in local schools. After graduating, he pursued his education degree and certificate and began teaching at Thurston High School in 2007, earned his National Board Certification in 2017 and continues to work at Thurston today.
Working in a school that has a primarily Black population, he is committed to a stance on equity and cultural relevance in his classroom. He has worked with a team of teachers and administrators for the past several years to help teachers engage in discussions of race and equity in his school and district. Also at his school, Victor coaches the Science Olympiad team and is one of the advisors for the racial awareness student group.
Outside of school, his favorite pastimes are birding, playing ultimate frisbee, and making music.