A Bio of a New Bio Teacher

Meet the new face in Room 209 and discover the experiences, passions, and personality behind the teacher.

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Mrs. Fajardo, Biology and Earth Science teacher. Also enjoys Harry Potter and the Phillies.

As the new school year begins, you may notice a new face among faculty.  This year, Rancho Solano welcomed a new face to its science department. Mrs. Fajardo, the new biology and earth science teacher. So, who is Mrs. Fajardo? the spirit of this year’s slogan “Small Acts, Big Impacts”, Pegasus took the initiative to stop by Room 209 to find out exactly that. 

 Originally from Philadelphia, Mrs. Fajardo moved to Arizona for college and decided to stay in The Valley after graduating to work. She attended Grand Canyon University, where she studied Exercise Science with an emphasis in Sports Performance. She later earned her master’s degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis on STEM. 

 Mrs. Fajardo’s teaching career began in an unexpected way. “I started teaching because I was a strength and conditioning coach for high school athletes,” she explained. “So, I started teaching to make it a full-time job.” She has now spent six years working with students and athletes!  

  Despite being new to campus, Mrs. Fajardo has already found her favorite part of Rancho: the culture. “All the students and staff are so welcoming, and everyone bonds very easily,” she explained. She also added that she “loved the value [Rancho] puts on athletics and how much opportunity there is in this area.” 

Mrs. Fajardo hopes that her students leave her class with more than just knowledge of biology and earth science. “I want my students to have a stronger character when they leave my class and be able to think critically.” Freshman Briana McCormick, a student in her biology class, noted “The way she explains topics is so comprehensible, I’m learning way more than I thought I would!” 

It is clear that Mrs. Fajardo is a dedicated, passionate teacher, but who is she outside the classroom?  Mrs. Fajardo loves books and media, with her favorite movie being “How to Train your Dragon” and her favorite books being The Hunger Games series. Alexis Belkin, a junior in her earth science class, said, “I love how much of a Harry Potter fan she is! She really makes class fun.”  As a former conditioning coach, Mrs. Fajardo has a strong connection to sports. She competed nationally in gymnastics for 12 years and trained and showed horses for over 10 years! She remarked, “My favorite sports include Baseball, Volleyball, and Gymnastics (It's hard to choose one.)” Mrs. Fajardo also loves to create music, and plays the piano, sings, and writes music in her free time. 

In these coming weeks, hopefully you, too, decide to stop by the Science Commons and check in with Mrs. Fajardo. She is an excellent addition to the Rancho community!.