Andrew Mabry

Student

“I love this campus because it’s a great place to hang out. And it’s one of the few places I always feel safe.”

Andrew Mabry has some definite ideas about what’s right for his future. “I’m studying history and Spanish, and what I’d like to do is teach history bilingually because so many Spanish speaking kids in the US get excluded in the classroom,” he says. “We should teach all kids the same thing in a way that they can all understand. That would help groups to get along better which is what we need, especially in LA. When we separate people, it creates ignorance because they don’t know each other. And that’s where fear comes from.”

Andrew, who “survived boarding school, the earthquake, and moving 14 times in his life” is now working nearly full time to put himself through school. But he’s discovered a place of relative calm at SMC where he feels his teachers are his best allies. “The majority of teachers here really understands that we students are usually working, too. They’re ‘streetwise’ in a sense, and they tailor education to students. They’re more flexible than teachers I’ve had in four-year schools. But they’re demanding in a way that makes you demand more of yourself,” he says, “and a lot of teachers make special effort to show you how things—like algebra—apply in the real world, how we can actually make use of what we’re learning in a practical sense.”

When not at work, cramming, or planning the curriculum he’ll teach, Andrew has a mobile solution to the strains of living in LA. “I drive a VW camper, and I’m always packing people into it to head for the mountains,” he says. “With all the stress in the city, it sure is beautiful to just get out and spend time under the stars.”

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