Emiliano Sanchez
Director of CTE Trades and Apprenticeships
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland, CA USA
“Invest in yourself.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationEmiliano Sanchez
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I immigrated to the United States from Mexico when I was three years old.
I initially wanted to be a doctor but once I got to college and started working with needles and blood, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me.
I got a job working with sheet metal as I did some soul searching to figure out what I really wanted to do.
When I was in junior high, I taught mathematics to younger students and really enjoyed it, so I decided to lean into that.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in mathematics and got a job as an instructional assistant for Oakland Unified School District.
From there, I was able to get a job as a mathematics teacher at my old junior high school.
I did that for eight years and then moved on to teaching mathematics at my old high school.
I spent five more years teaching and then moved up to assistant principal, then principal, and now director of CTE trades and apprenticeships.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Director of CTE Trades and Apprenticeships
I help students explore different post-secondary career paths.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Technology
Teaching / Mentoring
Day to Day
Some days I'll spend the majority of my time in meetings. Other days, I'll be at a school talking to students about different career options and talking to people about events that are coming up, like a skilled trade fair or college tour. I'll make calls or send emails to coordinate career exploration activities for students.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Talk to people in a variety of industries. If your school brings professionals in to speak about their jobs, be involved and ask questions. Keep up your grades so that you have options. Take advantage of internships. That's how you'll gain experience in the working world.
