At Eisenhower High School, Mrs. Monterroso stands out not only as a great educator but also as a person full of joy, giving great advice to her students both academically and personally. Mrs. Monterroso was born to a big family in Chicago. Mrs. Monterroso is an involved individual at her church. She attended Colton High School and was a very hard working student throughout her high school career although at times she found herself getting distracted. She was involved in Key Club, Choir, Dance, and a No Drugs at School Club. 

Mrs. Monterroso enjoyed watching the Brady Bunch and I Love Lucy as well as listening to Spanish and R&B music while she was in highschool. She attended Cal State San Bernardino to get her bachelor’s degree in which she had the opportunity to live on campus while doing so. “It was definitely a whole new world very different from high school. It was an opportunity for me to learn how to advocate for myself, ask questions and become independent, and responsible. It was a great opportunity to grow”, she said as she explained her college experience. 

Apart from taking regular classes she also took self defence classes. She has been teaching since 2019 but has been in education since 2004 with this year being her first year teaching at Eisenhower! She was inspired to teach from the experiences she had with her teachers in school and her love of learning about her family’s culture, traditions, and custom way of living. Her parents are Mexican and Guatemalan, inspiring her to pursue her career as a Spanish teacher. Although becoming a Spanish teacher she had thoughts of becoming a fashion designer, loving the thought of getting to show her creativity. 

The most rewarding part of her job is getting to go to graduation and seeing her students walk the stage to receive their diplomas. But the worst and most frustrating part of the job is dealing with misbehavior and interruptions, but overall she is happy with what she’s achieving as a teacher. One thing she would change if she could about teaching is seeing more time about collaborating with her colleagues about lesson planning. Mrs. Monterroso handles her daily stresses by taking breaks and praying. A final thought she would like to leave her students with is to remind them that they are loved and cared for and they all have great potential and that hard work really pays off.