Ms. Amanda Gemignani is in her 2nd year as a teacher at Armijo teaching PERL English and Science, but she’s worked hard to get here. “I’ve also taught RSP at Fairview Elementary, I’ve worked as a tanning consultant, noon duty, nanny, behavior interventionist, and a Para educator,” she said.

“I became a teacher to create a safe learning environment for all students. By learning, I’m not just talking about English and Science, but learning how to be confident in themselves, learning how they can be a positive influence, learning how they can become more than they ever dreamed of, and so much more,” she said.

Her first year as a teacher was pretty rocky because it was when the schools went to distance learning. “I was new to everything and still had so much to learn. I struggled to understand the constant information being thrown at us and how to apply it to my teaching,” she said. “It also provided something that would’ve taken me much longer to
achieve had COVID-19 not occurred. I became extremely confident in my ability as a teacher, to connect with students and parents, to provide that safe learning environment that I dreamed of in a vastly different way than I had ever imagined.”

Being on campus has brought some perspectives to light. “If I could change one thing about Armijo, it would be to create a more impactful relationship between staff and students as a whole,” she said.” I know we create powerful bonds with our own students but it would be nice to see those bonds transcend our own rooms with our own students.”

While she is supportive of students and staff at Armijo, Ms. Gemignani is actually a graduate from Fairfield High School. She followed that experience with classes at Solano Community College and earned her teaching credential with classes at Western Governors University.

In her education and throughout her life, Ms. Gemignani has had a lot of support from her family. “My parents have been happily married for 35 years. I have two older sisters that still drive me crazy. My two nieces and nephew who I kindly refer to as “boogerbutts” hold the most special place in my heart. There’s no story behind
the nickname. I have no idea where it came from but one day I started calling them that and it stuck,” she said.

For fun, Ms. Gemignani enjoys listening to music at concerts and festivals. “If there’s live music, I’m vibin’,” she said. “I love it so much that during the pandemic I went to a drive-in concert to see Thundercat. Just imagine a giant stage in a huge parking lot full of cars with people sitting on top of their roofs belting out the lyrics and flashing their lights as a way to cheer on the performer. It was amazing!”