“Education is a job where we have people who are very passionate about what we do and who want to be there for each other in the struggle of becoming teachers and working in the education system. It's a really rewarding job to have, just to have the talent.'' People who are going through the same things as you are really kind,'' said club member Kylie Ortega.
Club Teach is centered around creating a community and space for future educators for California Lutheran University students.
Club Teach hosts a variety of events for its members, including movie and game nights, on-campus outreach events, and community service programs with local charter school Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School (MATES) .
Club member Kylie Ortega believes this hands-on experience at MATES will help Club Teach members on their path to becoming educators.
“We have a lot of interaction with MATES. We have a charter school nearby so we will work with them. The events where we go to the school and help out are really helpful and we get hands-on experience. This is what I really want to do because I can,” said senior and club member Kylie Ortega.
Alondra Negrete López, a current member of Club Teach, said: Brandi Yee, assistant professor and director of the Liberal Arts Program, comes to club meetings to provide advice and information to members about their next steps into the world of education.
Negrete-Lopez said the club has helped her find more people like herself on campus.
“When I joined Club Teach and the LSED major, I don’t think Cal Lutheran was really known as a university that had a lot of education majors…but since I joined, I really realized that there were a lot of education majors. I feel like I was able to understand other people who are pursuing the same degree as me,” Negrete López said.
Ortega said a passion for education is what truly unites the club.
“The passion we have as educators, the fact that we are all in this together, it really brings us together,” Ortega said.
Ortega said creating a community of educators on campus is very important to Club Teach members. Ortega said that while this career path comes with its challenges, he believes it will be much easier if others are in the same boat.
“Education is a job where we have people who are very passionate about what we do and who want to be there for each other in the struggle of becoming teachers and working in the education system. It's a really rewarding job to have, just to have the talent.'' People who are going through the same things as you are really kind,'' Ortega said.
Negrete López said the Club Teach community understands these challenges in the education sector.
“This is like a home for future teachers because let’s face it, like any other degree, becoming a teacher is not easy. Especially in this day and age, pursuing the field of education is It can be really frustrating,” Negrete Lopez said. “So it’s really nice to have a place where other people can make their point of view heard and understood.”
Club Teach Co-President Alexus Solis believes that having this community benefits the classroom as well.
“When things are difficult in class, we can struggle together and support each other,” Solis said.
Solis said Club Teach is a great club for California Lutheran students who want to pursue a future career in education.
“I think this is a great way to get into California Lutheran, whether you're a freshman or someone who's been to campus before. It’s another club you can join where you can meet other students you recognize from the classroom. That’s what we’re promoting and we want to continue to build the CLU community.” Solis said.
Club Teach is held every other Thursday at 7pm. For more information about upcoming Club Teach events, students can Instagram.
