Patricia Jimenez Sepulveda is an experienced science teacher who developed her love for teaching, music and animals in Mexico, where she grew up. She then taught in the UK and later moved to the United States. Ms. Jimenez has been teaching for 15 years and is a well-loved and respected teacher by her students. Here’s a short Q&A with academic and other fun questions with her.
ACADEMIC
Q: What got you into science?
A: I always like to figure out how things work and I was always very curious. I love math so I felt that physics was a perfect combination of numbers and figuring out all my curiosity for things.
Q: What was your dream profession as a child?
A: I wanted to work with animals but then I wanted to be a musician. Later I switched to science because I discovered that I liked a lot of science. I thought that it was the best way to complete what I like, but I could keep on practicing music and loving animals, so it was a good combination.
Q: What’s your favorite part of teaching?
A: Learning from the students! From their feedback, when we interact and talk about science, I can learn how much they really know, and they can motivate me to learn more. The way that they are is just a beautiful way to interact with people that have so much to give, and you realize that, wow, I’m among amazing people, and that’s going to be like our future. I love that.
Q: What drew you to Sequoia?
A: It’s a beautiful story and they gave me the first opportunity in the United States to be a teacher. I’ve been a teacher for years, but I never had the chance for different circumstances that a school will give me the chance to be a teacher, to teach. So they were the first ones. They said, “Would you like to help us teach biology last year?” And I took the chance, and it was just amazing.
OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL
Q: What do you do when you get home from school?
A: I go to my dog and I pet him. I just get him and say, “Oh, I’m home!” I love my dog.
Q: What’s your favorite hobby?
A: I love craft, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, everything that has to do with doing something with your hands. I also love cooking.
Q: What was your childhood like?
A: A lot of fun. I love my childhood because I got to do many, many things in a very free environment. My parents would just let me do whatever I want. It was a time when you were not afraid of letting your kids do whatever they want and just run around and be by themselves. So it was a lot of fun. Sometimes, I would be with friends around places and play many games. I think I did all the things that any kid would do, but I feel that we were not looked after by our parents, because the environment was very safe at that time.
Follow up Q: What was your experience in high school like?
A: Very fun, very wild, and very academic. Because I was in a very, very academic high school with no sports and no arts. It was just academics. But it was a lot of fun. You have to have fun in high school.
Q: What’s something not a lot of people know about you?
A: I don’t know how to ride a bike. I learned, but I didn’t like it. So I don’t like the thing. It’s weird to be in this area and you don’t know how to ride a bike.
Q: What’s your favorite sport?
A: I love too many sports. I love football, swimming and soccer. I used to like to swim a lot, but to watch football and soccer, those are my super favorite ones.
Q: If you could be any realistic or fictional character who would it be and why?
A: I would love to be someone like Marie Curie, or someone where you can just lose your time in a lab. I love being in a lab, so just being there, discovering things, that would be awesome.
Q: What’s your dream vacation?
A: Something in a forest, like cold and lots of trees around you, yeah, and then that you can open your window and see, like, animals and trees, big trees. Like Sequoia, which is why I’m here and that’s why I love my window.
Q: Best advice you’ve received from a teacher?
A: Never take it personal. That was the best advice, because when you have a student that is not having a good day and is acting out is not because he or she is aiming it towards you. They have their own lives, their own situation, so don’t take it personally. It’s not to like something against you. It’s just something that is happening to them in their life.
Q: Anything else you would like to share?
A: I love my groups and I love my students. Sequoia is awesome!