Staff Spotlight

There are millions of jobs available in the world- teaching is just one. So of course, sometimes a teachers’ first job choice won’t be this one-in-a-million. 

     As a young girl, Mrs. Buckley was entertained by the world of money. Our remarkable counselor worked hard to achieve her dream and eventually earned a degree in finance. But things don’t always go the way you think they will. Ever since she was a kid, Mrs. Buckley’s dream job was to be an accountant  When she realized the little freedom that accountants had, she made the career jump to a stockbroker. A stockbroker is a person who buys and sells stocks and other investments on behalf of their clients. Although she is living proof that one can reach their goals, she faced multiple challenges along the way.  Working in the finance world, she often felt it difficult to stay true to herself. 

     Mrs. Buckley recalls, “I was always the type of friend that anyone could console with, and I always wanted to help in stocks and that was more linear. It was not a touch-feely place. You couldn’t really get to know people… And when I was older I decided I needed to change careers.” Now, Mrs. Buckley is a favored counselor who holds the truths of many students who confide in her daily. Mrs. Buckley says, as counselors, ‘we are always there to help students  stay on the right path on their journey of life.’ 

     Ms. Louris was always interested in science, specifically biology. However, when the light of chemistry was introduced to her, a new door of opportunity opened. She worked on practical applications in chemistry and research to expand scientific knowledge about the specific subject. Having a love for analyzing and using information to come up with answers, being a scientific researcher was the job she felt was meant for her. However, after having her two boys, everything changed for her. She saw the light of teaching and wanted to experience it for herself, starting her new career of teaching the next generation.

     Still wanting to pursue the science department, she got her teaching credential as a science teacher and she hasn’t regretted her decision for a moment. Even though she switched her career field, she  brings skills such as analytical thinking and attention to detail to her work every day, “hoping to change a kid’s future by just being a teacher.”

     Mr. Clay teaches English for a reason. His prior work as a sports writer has played into many of the things he does now whether it’s talking to students or different writing exercises to help his students become better writers. He wrote for the World Cup in 1998, writing words that paint the picture as well as possible. However, the time came when he was laid off from his writing job and needed another opportunity to do his best.  As for many teachers, he got into teaching after many years of volunteering at his daughter’s school, being exposed to the beautiful light that teaching is. He was amazed by how one teacher can change a whole student’s academic career and that was just what he wanted to do, “teaching has always been a part of my life and I just wanted to make it matter.” Mr. Clay has now been a teacher for many years now and loves what he does as a teacher.

     As a child, Mr. Wakerling was obsessed with movies, television shows, and most of all stories. All it took him was one high school photography class to make students’ films into multi-billion dollar movies. In his time as a filmmaker, Mr. Wakerling has had tremendous accomplishment rates. He worked on popular movies like The Pursuit of Happiness, Zodiac, and Pirates of the Caribbean. But with success came misfortune, when Mr. Walkerling was working on an Old Navy commercial when he got injured, resulting in back surgery. It took two years to recover from this traumatic event, and by then he lost his zeal for the video-making industry. As a result, he decided to pursue his second passion, teaching. Mr. Wakerling disclosed, “It ended up being the best decision I probably ever made in my life.”

     As a former police officer, Ms. Elissiry has brought multiple skills to the teaching profession, like her communication and writing skills.  They’ve certainly come in handy with her current job as a middle school Core teacher. But the jump from high-speed chases, to teaching in the classroom is not as big of a jump as most people think. In fact, Ms. Elissiry did teach at the police department. She ran a youth group, was a first aid instructor, and a field training officer, where she trained new officers who had just graduated from the academy. But her dream started at the age of seven when she decided that law enforcement would be her chosen profession.   From that point forward, Ms. Elissiry didn’t let anything get in her way of turning her dream into a reality. At the age of 21, she was hired as a police officer and sent to the academy in Long Beach for six months. Ms. Elissiry was hired with another female officer, and including them, brought the total number of female police officers patrolling the streets of Union City to three!  During her time with the Union City Police Department, Ms. Elissiry enjoyed creating connections with different types of people, whether it was the other police officers or the next person she would handcuff.  She loved taking the bad guys off the streets. “I trained new officers who had just graduated from the academy, or those who came to our department from another police agency.   I really liked each of those experiences and being able to teach.” Unfortunately, while chasing a suspect on foot, and jumping over several fences, Ms. Elissiry hurt her back and had to have surgery. The type of surgery she had prevented her from returning to her duties as a police officer, and she medically retired.   After her police career, she stayed home with her kids for a few years while she healed.  During that time she reflected on her teaching experiences at the police department, and decided she wanted to become a teacher.  Ms. Elissiry went on to earn her degree in Education and her teaching credential in an astounding two and a half years.  After one year of teaching in Pleasanton, she landed her job at Fallon, and she truly enjoys working here.