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  • CAREER EXPLORATION
    • Jacqueline Sanderlin

    Jacqueline Sanderlin

    School Principal

    Foster Elementary School

    Compton, CA USA

    “Raise the bar, don't lower it. Support, don't pity. Build, don't tear down. And give life, because we have the power to do that.”

    Videos

    Videos

    By Roadtrip Nation

    Jacqueline Sanderlin

    Highlight
    Now Playing
    01:06
    Jacqueline Sanderlin HighlightInterview Highlight
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    06:23
    InterviewThe Interview
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    00:54
    Finding BalanceWeb Exclusive
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    01:15
    Opportunity in EducationWeb Exclusive
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    01:04
    Personal GrowthWeb Exclusive
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    01:12
    Individually GiftedWeb Exclusive
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    01:53
    Exposure to Music and the ArtsWeb Exclusive
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    01:08
    My Mother and My StudentsWeb Exclusive
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    00:52
    Positive BurdenWeb Exclusive
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    01:18
    Ask the ChildrenWeb Exclusive
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    00:54
    DisagreementsWeb Exclusive
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    00:30
    Seeing the ChangeInterview Excerpt
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    00:49
    My VisionsInterview Excerpt
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    01:05
    Children of ComptonInterview Excerpt
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    00:36
    ScholarsInterview Excerpt
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    Milestones

    Milestones

    My road in life has been direct.
    Her father was a teacher, and she used to go to class with him and work as his "secretary for the day"; was always intrigued by her dad's job.
    After college, she took a job as a special education teacher in the Compton School District.
    Says that her first job helped her understand that teaching is a "broad" field-it has to work for students of all races, cultures and abilities.
    Growing up, she'd had a comfortable childhood; now she was working with students from foster homes, students in poverty, etc.
    Says people told her the first rule of being a new principal was "never have a vision"-she decided to break that first rule.
    As principal of Foster Elementary School, her vision is, "Why not? Why shouldn't these students have the same opportunities as an affluent area?"
    Knew it wasn't enough for her to have a vision on her own, so she started going door-to-door in the neighborhood, talking to the community.
    Looked to the "Foster Elementary" name for inspiration and found out Stephen C. Foster was a composer; focused on building up the school's arts programs.
    Education

    Education

    highschool
    High School
    undergrad
    Bachelor
    Speech Communication and Rhetoric
    graduate
    Graduate
    Special Education and Teaching, General
    California State University-Dominguez Hills
    doctorate
    Doctorate
    Educational Leadership and Administration, General
    Pepperdine University
    Career

    Career

    School Principal

    I monitor student achievement and ensure our students receive a quality education, along with exposure to the arts.

    Career Roadmap

    Roadmap
    My work combines:
    My work combines:
    Art
    Art
    Education
    Education
    Teaching / Mentoring
    Teaching / Mentoring

    Day to Day

    I feel like it is my obligation to create a great atmosphere for our scholars to learn, play, and grow in. I spend a lot of time developing new programs for our students. I build my job around two words: "Why not?" That's always been my vision and so I work with our faculty and community members to ensure that our students have everything that students in more affluent areas would have.

    Skills & Qualities Beyond School

    Be humble. You can be excited and enthusiastic, but don't let that get in the way. Engage and listen to others around you.

    Advice for Getting Started

    Here's the first step for everyone

    Keep dreaming...once you lose your dream, that's it! Foster your talents and raise the bar.

    Recommended Education

    My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

    undergrad
    Bachelor
    Speech Communication and Rhetoric
    graduate
    Graduate
    Special Education and Teaching, General
    doctorate
    Doctorate
    Educational Leadership and Administration, General
    Hurdles

    Hurdles

    The Noise I Shed

    From Myself:

    "Maybe I can't make as much of a difference as I thought."

    When I first got into education, I was really excited and motivated. However, reality hit and the difficulties challenged me more than I thought. I was able to overcome this by listening to people and engaging with them more.

    Challenges I Overcame

    First-Generation College Student
    First-Generation College Student

    I am the first in my family to go to college. My parents always supported me, but I didn't have anyone who had experienced it before there to help guide me.