Spotlight: Indira Hood-Esparza '11

When Indira Hood-Esparza was admitted to The Preuss School UC San Diego in 2004 as a sixth grader, she was so eager to start wearing her school uniform that she would try it on in secret over the summer, making sure it was ready for the fall.

"Something about that uniform felt sacred and even at that age, I knew it came with a lot of opportunities and responsibilities," she said.

Following her time as a student at Preuss, Hood-Esparza attended UC San Diego as a Chancellor’s Associates Scholar majoring in political science and education studies. She then went on to earn her master’s degree at UC San Diego. After completing her student teaching at The Preuss School UC San Diego, Hood-Esparza taught humanities at High Tech High in Chula Vista while completing a credential in social studies.

Hood-Esparza served as the keynote speaker at the Preuss Promise benefit in April, where she shared her story as the daughter of immigrant parents who sought to give their children a better education than they were able to achieve.

As part of her talk, Hood-Esparza announced the exciting news that following week, she would become the first Preuss School alum to ever return to teach at the school.

"This is my dream job," Hood-Esparza told the audience, as she related that she would be teaching AP Government and World History. "I have spent a lot of my adult life wondering how I could give back to Preuss. My thank you to Preuss begins on Monday."