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Yadira

RETURN TO SCHOLAR LIST

Noyce Scholar Profile

Yadira Valdez

Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics

Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 6-12

Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar

Name of Noyce institution:
University of Texas at El Paso

Current academic or teaching status:
Junior

School and school district:
UTEP Program with El Paso and Ysleta Independent School Districts

Background:

I am a 20-year-old Hispanic female. I have lived in El Paso, Texas my whole life, and am currently a junior at the University of Texas at El Paso. I’m a very happy and optimistic person and giving up is not an option for me.

Why do you want to teach:

Math has always been easy for me, but it wasn’t until high school that I became passionate about teaching math. In high school I started tutoring my friends and classmates, and seeing excitement in their faces made me realize how rewarding it is to teach. I can honestly say that I’ve had great teachers in my life who have inspired me and led me to this profession. I not only intend to teach students how to solve math problems, but also want to be a role model for them because I believe teachers have the power to change students’ lives.

Describe a memorable teaching experience:

One of the many memorable experiences that I’ve had was as a tutor at Raymond Telles Academy (a high school for alternative kids in El Paso). A student was constantly disrupting class so I talked to her. After our talk, she stopped disrupting class, and I helped her with her math. A couple of weeks later she told me “Thank you for helping me, I want to be like you when I grow up.” When she said this, I had an amazing feeling inside.

What does the Noyce program mean to you:

The Noyce program is an incredible opportunity that is helping me reach my goals. Being a full-time student with a part-tine job was very difficult. Thanks to the financial help the program gave me, I was able to quit my job and focus on school. This program has also provided me with rich information that I will need once I start teaching. It has also given me the chance to network with people who have more experience than I do.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Numbers DUE-2041597 and DUE-1548986. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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