Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Vargas.
Victor, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Chula Vista which is the neighborhood that I live in and where I decided to teach. My parents were both born in Mexico and came to the United States in the 1960’s for a better life. I was born in Los Angeles but have spent most of my life in Chula Vista. I graduated from Hilltop High School in 1988 and became a young father in 1991 to my first child Erik. In the year 2001 I started teaching. My first teaching position was in San Ysidro. I worked in San Ysidro for thirteen years. I started my teaching career teaching 5th grade at Willow Elementary School which is quite literally next to the border. In the year 2010 I transitioned to middle school. At this time I began teaching middle school math and Social Studies World History. In the year 2015 I moved to the Sweetwater Union High School District where I started teaching at Castle Park High School. I currently teach Integrated Math, Integrated Math 1 bilingual (ELD students), and Introduction to Social Studies. Also during this time I have also been coaching high school soccer. I began coaching at Hilltop High School where I was the assistant varsity coach from 2005 to 2013. In 2013 I started my first head coaching position at Castle Park High School coaching girls’ varsity soccer. In the year 2015 we won the first CIF title for girls’ soccer at Castle Park. In the year 2022 I switched to coaching boys’ soccer at Castle Park. In 2024 we won CIF at Castle Park for only its second title for boys soccer in the history of the school. I am still coaching boys’ soccer but have taken a step back and now work as an assistant soccer coach. I really love my job and working in the neighborhood that I grew up in. I literally teach one mile from my house and about two miles from the house I grew up in. In 2021 my son Erik started his teaching career at Castle Park High School. Now we both work at the same school and with many of the same students. Teachers and students call me “Papa Vargas” and my son Erik “Baby Vargas”. It’s truly special working with together with my son. I am proud of the person and educator he has become.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth. Being a young parent was very difficult. My wife and I had a lot of support from our family in raising our children as we both finished college and earned teaching credentials. I had to take out student loans in order to pay for my schooling. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. My first language growing up was Spanish and I feel that experience has really helped me understand and work with many of my students who don’t speak English as their first language.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a teacher at Castle Park High School. I feel that I specialize in being that teacher that really connects with students. In teaching my goal is to create an environment where students feel safe to learn. I always listen to and talk to my students. One of my approaches in reaching and motivating students is getting them to understand that I have their best interest in mind. This approach keeps my students motivated and even when they don’t want to do the work I am ask of them, they know that everything that I ask is what’s best for them. What sets me apart from others is that my students always remember me and come back to me as the teacher who really cared about them. It doesn’t matter where I am at I always have former students and players who recognize me and tell me how much I impacted their lives. I have a few proud moments as an educator and coach. The first is winning CIF for both the boys and girls soccer teams at Castle Park High School. I believe I am the only coach in our district to ever win this championship on both the girls’ side and boy’s side. Second, is being recognized by my school for supporting our ELD (English Language Development) students.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The books that have impacted me most would be Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor. He is a local Latino author who tells the stories of his parents immigrating to America. He talks about struggles that immigrant students have adapting to school in this country. He also talks about his battle with dyslexia and learning how to read. Another author that has impacted me and my teaching is Bell Hooks. A mentor of mine would be Jeff Duncan Andrade who talks about social justice and equity.
Contact Info:
- Other: TikTok: @victorvargas793
