“There’s so much to see and experience out there”

Jacqueline Alamilla and I have a conversation about why she likes to do her favorite things, like playing video games and why she prefers reading and watching fiction books and shows.  She also answers other questions like “If you were to go back in time and tell your past self something what will it be?”

Transcript:

Omar Garcia: If you were to go back in time and tell your past self something what will it be?

Jacqueline Alamilla:  If I could go back in time, I would tell my past self to travel and explore and not to be afraid of leaving Los Angeles. There’s so much to see and experience out there.

OG: Did you always wanted to be a teacher?

JA:  I NEVER wanted to be a teacher. I remember thinking “Why would anyone want to be a teacher and deal with students all day? Teachers aren’t making millions of dollars and work sooooo much.” But here I am, lol.

OG: If you were to pick another job, what would it be?

JA:  If I could pick another job, I would either want to work in design and marketing or I would want to be a personal chef or pastry chef. I love designing things and I also love cooking.

OG: What’s your favorite show?

JA: My favorite show EVER is Game of Thrones, but currently I am watching The Sopranos. It’s not a new show, but I have never seen it before and it’s really good.

OG: If you can undo something what will it be?

JA:  If I could undo something, I would undo all the times I was really disrespectful and hurtful to my mom. Looking back, I know that my mom was just looking out for me, but out of angry and frustration, I remember saying a lot of mean things to her and also not listening to her as much as I should have.

OG: Do you like to play video games and if so which ones ?

JA:  I LOVE video games. Growing up I played The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart and Supersmash Bros all the time. As I got older, I got into Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but then into Call of Duty. I used to play a lot during college, but now as a teacher, I don’t seem to have enough time to really dedicate time into gaming. I feel like nowadays people are soooo good and unless you dedicate a lot of time playing, you’re just not going to be at the same levels as other gamers and it’s not fun losing all the time.

OG: Do you like to read or watch fiction or nonfiction?

JA: I prefer reading and watching fiction books and shows. I do find nonfiction interesting but I prefer really creative and imaginative stories.

OG: What’s your favorite thing to do?

JA:  My favorite thing to do is working out and spending time with family and friends. I usually go for walks after work at the park or at the beach and sometimes I do some strength training workouts. Staying active is important to me, so I make sure to set time aside for that. And when I can, I go walking with friends so we can catch up and talk but work out at the same time.

OG: Why did you become a science teacher ?

JA:  I love learning science. Even now as an adult, there’s always more to learn. I grew up watching Bill Nye the Science Guy and The Magic School Bus and both Bill Nye and Ms. Frizzle made science so fun! Their enthusiasm and energy were infectious and made me so curious about the world. It’s the subject I never get tired of, so that’s why I decided to be a science teacher — there’s no other subject that I don’t get tired of, aside from maybe art, but not all schools have art classes.