By: Oumou Bah
Follow me on twitter @OwlOumou
Give a warm welcome to the new Owl in our nest, Mr. Vazquez, an Algebra II, geometry, and honors geometry teacher.
Mr. Vazquez grew up in West Phoenix and went to West View High School. Growing up, English was his second language and due to that his teachers did not believe he was the brightest student in class. As a result of that, math became the subject that Mr. Vazquez felt passionate about and “exposed” his intelligence to the teachers “They were able to see potential in me,” Mr. Vazquez said.
Furthermore, language was not a barrier to Mr. Vazquez. Instead, he rose to the challenge and exceeded beyond the ordinary. He Earned acceptance letters to Ivy League schools such as Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, and University of Pennsylvania. However, Mr. Vazquez’s heart belonged to Stanford University where he got to explore new cultures and meet new people around the world, ranging from local Californians to multi-millionaires.
Mr. Vazquez earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations and Latin American economy at Stanford before returning home to Arizona and earning his master’s at Arizona State University. As of right now, he is working on earning his second master’s in educational leadership.
Additionally, Mr. Vazquez enjoys running, hiking, and hanging out with friends and family. In the classroom, he enjoys seeing the face of understanding and those, “Ohh I get it” moments when students figure out how to solve a problem.
Currently Mr. Vazquez interns for our principal, Mr. Luedemann, in hopes that he will eventually be able to open a school of his own. His focus would be diversity and making sure that teachers are responsive to their students. Furthermore, Mr.Vazquez hopes to become Dr. Vazquez in the near future and with his hardwork and dedication, it is sure to be.
As for being a new Owl to Agua Fria, Mr. Vazquez treasures the positive environment and appreciates his co-workers and students. Overall, he loves the great experience of being part of the Owl’s nest. #BeAnOwl
