Hi, my name is Regina Valencia!
Primary License:
5-12 Technology/Engineering (Initial, Academic)
Currently Pursuing:
Engineering Technology (Vocational)
Resume
About Me
Working the Engineering Ambassador's table at the Ecotarium during Worcester Public Schools' April break.
Engineering is fundamentally important to everyday life—in the design process, in its creations, and in its contributions. Technology that we see today (electric cars, smartphones, etc.) is created because of the efforts of engineers. I believe all students should learn the basics, mainly how to research, brainstorm, design, and test solutions, as this process is applicable to any problem that they may encounter in their lives.
The engineering design process finds itself in many different areas: science, mathematics, even humanities and the arts. The best engineers are well-rounded in all fields. My name is Regina Valencia, and I am a senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the class of 2024. I am currently studying aerospace engineering (astronautical track) and a minor in creative writing. I am seeking an academic teaching license in Technology/Engineering 5-12 and will be pursuing a Chapter 74 engineering license after graduation. General interests include rocket engines, test engineering, drawing/painting, crochet, and playing the ukulele. I constantly push to gain more knowledge, as I find that any and all knowledge gained makes me a great engineer.
Mentoring has always been a passion of mine. I have worked with children younger than me starting in 7th grade, assisting with pre-K activities at the local library. Children are the next engineers, scientists, artists, and I want to help students find their own passions. Throughout my teaching practicum at Doherty Memorial High School, located in Worcester, MA; I was able to sharpen my mentoring and teaching skills and gained a lot of subject matter knowledge. I learned how to reflect on my experiences and take constructive criticism in order to make myself better. One goal that I would try to achieve as a full-time teacher would be to constantly find ways to create lessons that bring in real-life events and students’ personal experiences. Making engineering relatable to students, especially at the high school level, helps with motivation and help possibly push more gender and racial minority students to pursue engineering as their career.
Positionality Statement & Teaching Philosophy
Regina Valencia was raised in northern New Jersey, which is part of the New York City metropolitan area. She attended public high school and participated in many extracurriculars, with a huge focus for STEM and the arts. She is a first-generation American college student studying aerospace engineering and completing a minor in creative writing. Being a first-generation student allows her to connect with students who also are first-generation, but it hindered her as she did not go into college knowing the “hidden curriculum” (how to apply for FAFSA, how to create and maintain connections, best etiquette for interviews, etc.). Regina was highly encouraged by her parents to pursue a career in STEM, and she is supported financially in her studies and will graduate with low debt/debt-free. She identifies as queer Filipino-American, with her first language being English.
In some ways, a teacher is an agent of change, and in other ways, I believe students are agents of change to their teachers. In order to promote change, a teacher must be willing to learn from their students and to amplify student voices in important issues on the local scale and on the global scale. My teaching philosophy is to constantly grow alongside my students, and to be a better teacher than I was yesterday. I want to challenge myself and my students so that they meet high expectations, and I want them to develop their problem solving skills as well as their creativity.