Sophomore to pursue career in education

Corrinne Tallman, Staff Writer

Teachers have the ability to make or break a class. They can turn hated subjects into newfound passions or have the opposite impact. Often, teachers inspire us to follow our dreams, and act as friends or counselors in tough situations.

Sophomore Ella Jaramillo aspires to be a high school English teacher and have a connection with students, acting as a mentor, and helping students come to love English as she does. Inspired by a subject she excels in and motivated by her desire to educate others, Jaramillo is prepared for the hard work it takes to have an impact as an educator.

Since Jaramillo has always had an affinity for English, she would like to share her knowledge as well as help her students come to love the subject just as much as she does.

“I wanted to be an English teacher just because I always kind of grew up liking English and it was one of my stronger classes,” Jaramillo said.

So that she can better transfer her love of English, Jaramillo hopes to be approachable to her future students. She explained how she wants to relate to students on a personal level that some educators do not.

“Overall, to have them trust me and see me as figure that they can go to, and really be more than just their teacher,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo is motivated to connect with her students because of how other teachers have impacted her own development and inspired her to become an educator.

“My teachers definitely did change me because they’re like, ‘We know you’re more than what you’ve been doing,’” Jaramillo said.

Beyond the inspiration from her teachers, one of the most beneficial experiences to contribute to Jaramillo’s desire to teach was an education exploration class. In this course, she made a lesson plan and had the opportunity to teach elementary schoolers. From the class, she gained knowledge in how to create a lesson and developed her passion for teaching.

Because of her connection with teenagers, she wants to teach high school rather than elementary or middle school because it is “more relatable in a way,” she said.

Though Jaramillo is determined to relate to and positively impact her students, she worries her own habits will hamper her success.

Something that negatively affects Jaramillo’s path to becoming the educator she wants to be is procrastination. She often finds herself struggling with not finishing work in a timely manner and thinks that her greatest barrier in the future will be staying motivated to grade papers and get through the less face-to-face aspects of teaching.

“My biggest fear is probably not teaching them to my best ability,” she said.

Jaramillo also struggles with the aspects of education that she cannot control. She worries sometimes about how much money she will make as a teacher. It is difficult to know that the career Jaramillo wants to pursue does not come with a large paycheck, but her passion for education outweighs the small salary. She explained that through budgeting and working over the summer, money will not be a concern.

After she graduates high school, Jaramillo intends to continue her education in Colorado at the University of Northern Colorado or Colorado State University.