Earl Bench
Buena Park High School
Buena Park, CA USA
"I believe that you have to put yourself out there to get what you want in life and that it all starts with you."
Career Roadmap
Earl's work combines: Education, Government, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Graduate Degree
BA in History, MA in History and a single subject teaching credential
California State University, Fullerton
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Social Science Teacher:
Graduate Degree: BA in History, MA in History and a single subject teaching credential
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Taking a semester off after high school to work full time. It taught me the value of an education.
2.
Enrolling in a community college.
3.
Transferring to CSUF.
4.
Completing my BA in History at CSUF. I felt like I had to rush through college because my dad was dying of cancer.
5.
Completing my student teaching and Single Subject Credential in Social Science at CSUF
6.
Getting hired at Buena Park High School.
7.
Going back to CSUF to complete my MA in History.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Mr. Bench was told by his high school's counselor that the Marines were the right place for him and that it would straighten him out. A friend's mom told him that "College isn't for everybody. Keep working in a warehouse, you'll do fine."
How I responded:
He used this discouragement to inspire himself to do better. He has always been motivated from when someone told him he couldn't do something.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Being the first to do anything from his family, he had to go out and find answers himself or ask for help. He had no brother or sister to tutor him. So as an independent person, he was humbled by having to find someone on campus to help him out.
Halfway through college, his father was diagnosed with cancer. His mother didn't work, so if his father passed away, he knew he would have to drop out of school. Mr. Bench strove and worked harder to get things done in order to support his family.