While getting her master’s in education, Brooke Ashmore, long-term substitute for College Prep Biology and International Baccalaureate Environmental Science, has grown in her teaching and leadership skills at Newbury Park High School [NPHS], teaching her first class. “[My classes] are teaching me so much. […] [They] are my first class. [They] are taking the jitters out of going into teaching,” Ashmore said.
Although her time at NPHS is limited, Ashmore plans to take the skills she has learned as a long-term substitute with her as she begins her teaching career, followed by student-teaching next fall. “I have my subject matter competency in foundational science, so I’m qualified to teach middle school science and some high school classes. I do my student teaching in the fall, and then I will be officially credentialed,” Ashmore said.
Coming from a small town with less than 9,000 residents, Ashmore plans to go wherever the wind, or teaching job opportunities, take her in the future. “Once my credential is over, we just kind of go from there. I’ll probably stay; we talked about moving back to Santa Clarita. That’s where [my boyfriend] is from. So I might teach out there, but if I can get a job here, I’m staying here,” Ashmore said.
In her hometown of Taft, California, she, along with her family, celebrates the town’s finding of oil in a unique way every five years. “[Oil Dorado] is a celebration of our town. Our town was founded on oil. So it’s every five years we just celebrate our history,” Ashmore said. “We have a two-week celebration, literally 14 days straight, and it is event after event like oil field competitions, car shows, concerts, fair.”
In addition to her passion for teaching, Ashmore’s expertise expands beyond the classroom as she is also qualified to draw blood with her phlebotomy license. This passion for healthcare began when she was involved in fundraising for the goal of curing blood cancer. “In high school, I raised $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” Ashmore said.
As well as her penchant for healthcare, Ashmore is likewise dedicated to physical wellness and education. From swimming competitively for over 13 years to working at Planet Fitness, Ashmore has always valued the importance of physical activity. “I love learning about women’s health […] and I like to work out. That’s a fun one. I’ve gotten really into running recently,” Ashmore said.
As a “Covid Senior,” Ashmore understands the value of a teacher-to-student connection beyond the given curriculum. “You have to make the best out of every situation. No one needs to stress over the little things. If there is something wrong, we will fix it together,” Ashmore said.
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