College : Fresno State Career goal : History teacher

About Estefany : Finances have always been a struggle for Estefany Martinez ’ s family , getting so bad at one point that they lived in a shelter and with friends for a while . Challenges did not take away her love for school and her goal to graduate from college . She also enjoyed playing the trumpet in the marching and concert bands at Bullard High School and earned the Seal of Biliteracy for fluency in Spanish and English .

Her favorite subject at Bullard was history , believing that knowledge about the past is necessary for better decisions in the future . Looking back on her experiences in high school , having teacher Jeff Allen in her junior year for AP U . S . history was pivotal . He increased Estefany ’ s love of the subject even more and inspired her to be a history teacher . She hopes to emulate not only Allen ’ s engaging style of teaching , but his genuine concern for his students . “ Being in his class was a guarantee that you ' d learn and feel safe , like someone was actually looking out for you in that big school . He was a great help to me , and I wholeheartedly wish to do the same for future generations . I would like them to love history as much as I do and find a safe space with me .”

In Estefany ’ s words : “ I believe myself to be very hardworking and if I am given an opportunity and the resources to succeed , I will take advantage of them and not let them go to waste .”

From Kristi Robison , a teacher at Bullard High School : “ Estefany was a leader that I could count on to facilitate her collaborative group . She is fun-loving , kind and intelligent . She came to class daily prepared and ready to learn .”

6 FACES