Written by Meslissa Nunez, Staff Writer.
Mrs. Schrock, teacher of chemistry, anatomy, physiology, biology, psychology, and AVID, details the importance of education.
Despite being a teacher of all science related trades, Mrs. Schrock didn’t take a deep interest in science until her undergraduate years despite her major having been Biochemistry. She notes the vast differences between there being an interest directly in a subject and just liking it. She expressed a sort of pressure from family and school to pick a major in science, hence her choosing Biochemistry as a major. Growing up she had a “small inkling of interest” for science, especially when learning the processes of how life worked. This then flourished during when specializing in Biochemistry in university.
This year marks Mrs. Schrock’s 27th year of being a teacher, her 20th year teaching at Poly High School, and her third year teaching AVID. Despite being a teacher for nearly three decades now, Mrs. Schrock was never attracted to being a teacher. In fact, she didn’t realize she enjoyed the profession until after she graduated from college when she got a job as an activity coordinator at a private school. Realizing that students enjoyed science related activities brought her much joy, noting that “their little eyes would sparkle.”
Mrs. Schrock’s exposure to children that wanted to learn, led her to teaching AVID as well. She takes great pride in the program because it helps many students who are at a disadvantage and wish to go to college. The program is also assistive in helping students lift from those disadvantages, supporting students through their educational journeys. Mrs. Schrock herself stated she had a difficult time in high school, having moved to five different high schools before even finishing her sophomore year. She proclaimed AVID allows for that reflective peace in a sense, offering a lending hand to students in situations similar to what she was in.