I have always wanted to pursue education in a larger capacity and truly valued teaching as a tool for equity and change. It seemed like the perfect way to combine my passion for education and social justice.”
Amanda’s Story
Teaching Discipline
Biology
Why Biology
“I love facilitating students’ sense-making about the world around them through each of these sciences. I love teaching biology with a focus on biodiversity loss and climate change.”
Professional Experience
During her undergraduate studies, Amanda worked as an executive assistant at the Law Offices of Jana K. Weimann in San Diego, California. She also worked as a private tutor from 2017 to 2020, teaching high school and college-level science, mathematics, and Spanish. Following her undergraduate studies, Amanda spent three years working as an assistant volleyball coach. In 2018, she was promoted to head volleyball coach of La Jolla Country Day School, where she stayed for three years. During this time, she also served as the Director of Programs at Samuel Lawrence Foundation, an environmental nonprofit based in San Diego that operated at the intersection of science, arts and education. In this role, she advocated for the safe storage of nuclear waste at San Onofre and beyond, along with a variety of other programs to promote equity and justice. Amanda spent the last year of her graduate studies as the teacher of record at University High School Charter, where she taught biology and honors chemistry.
Amanda will begin her second year of teaching at Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, California, during the 2023–2024 school year.
Hobbies
In her free time, Amanda enjoys playing volleyball, backpacking, traveling, and spending time at the beach with friends.
Academic Background
- Washington University, St. Louis (Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology; and Spanish)
- University of California, Los Angeles (Master of Education)