This school year is Laura Derickson’s first year as a teacher for the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy.

Derickson grew up in San Diego, California where she graduated from La Jolla High School. In school, Derickson took calculus and participated in various creative subjects. She later graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and then got her master’s degree from the University of Southern California.

Derickson has always loved being in front of a class, and she taught ballet during her high school years. She wanted to support her students in ways she did not get from her teachers.

“I struggled because I didn’t have the support that I needed to succeed,” Derickson said. “My teachers just expected me to figure things out without any kind of explanation.”

Derickson said she has always wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn’t until this year that she started teaching what she loves. She started teaching academics as an elementary school teacher, but later took a tour of the DPEA which contributed to her interest in becoming an engineering teacher.

‘’What students are being offered is something I wish I had had in high school,” Derickson said. “I really like the way that the curriculum is organized and structured.’’

When Derickson isn’t in her classroom teaching, she spends her free time with her cat and dog. She also said she enjoys going to the beach, reading, roller skating, and yoga, but the “best reward” for her is teaching.

Derickson said she wants to be remembered by students as a teacher who is a “non-judgmental listener” and as a person who students feel comfortable approaching and asking for help.

“I care a lot about the students and I know what they’re capable of, so I have high expectations for them,” Derikson said. “If they don’t get it, it’s easy for me to get frustrated with myself, but when they do finally get it, I feel like all of my hard work paid off.”