Victoria Porraz (B.A. 2001) English Teacher, Granite Hills High School
Victoria Porraz (B.A. 2001)
English Teacher, Granite Hills High School
“When we get to do literature, that’s when I’m on fire,” says Victoria Porraz.
Victoria is an English teacher at Granite Hills High School, where she has taught since 2002. Her passion for her subject matter was cultivated in the English major at CSUSB: “I fell in love with the literature and wanted to share all of the really cool things that I was learning in my classes.”
Victoria excelled at CSUSB, graduating with a B.A. in English in 2001 (Literature Track, departmental honors), and serving as the English major commencement speaker. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in English Composition, also at CSUSB.
Victoria is a stellar teacher. In 2014, in fact, she was nominated for the California League of High Schools Educator of the Year. Those who’ve worked with her testify to both her teaching excellence and her genuine care for her students. And Victoria in turn loves what she does. Her favorite moments in teaching, she says, are when her students ‘get’ the difficult material: “That’s the thrill. That’s what keeps me going back year after year.”Reflecting on her time in the English major, Victoria says that she appreciates how her professors challenged her: “I was better for it . . . and had to make sure I was on top of things in my coursework.”
She also says that those four years as an undergrad “went by so quickly, and it was so fun.” So to current English majors, she urges: “Just enjoy the ride."