BY DESIREE PICAZO / PHOTO CREDIT: JOSHUA ROMERO

As many students may have noticed, there are several new teachers this year at WCHS, one being science teacher Maria Flores.  Flores is a new mom, which means she doesn’t have a lot of free time, but when she does, she enjoys watching movies with friends and family, one of her favorites being “Planet of the Apes”.

Flores is also the oldest of four children and she mentions how it was tough at times when she had to care for her younger siblings. “It was fun at times because I got a lot of new stuff,” said Flores.

Since Flores had previously taught Life Science at Hollencrest Middle School, it was a smooth transition to being a Biology/Environmental Science teacher at WCHS. She describes the campus as an enormous, spirited school with a lot going on and can see herself staying at West Covina for a long time.

Flores recounts how she had felt the desire to teach since she was ten and speaks of what she enjoyed the most about teaching and her students. “Energy; some have more than others. Curiosity for questions they have about the world”

Flores often has advice that she gives her students, in order to help them later in life; she advises her senior students to have a plan and set goals as they transition to the adult world and her freshmen students to start developing good habits now.

The quote that Flores lives by is “Be the change you want to see in the world.” By caring for her students and showing the passion she has for teaching, Flores surely lives up to this quote.