What was your upbringing like/where did you grow up?

Audiel Espitia was born and raised in Arizona where the climate was so much more drier and hotter than Houston to the point where it felt like a game of hot potato every time you tried to buckle your seatbelt. Fortunately enough, Espitia was lucky enough to have both parents presents so growing up he felt like his parents put him in a good position to find success in life, and most importantly they protected him from making poor life decisions. Growing up having someone who leads you towards the right path in life is a luxury not everyone can afford or is lucky enough to have, so Espitia felt like he was pretty fortunate having someone who advised him during his youth. He attended Mohave High School, it was mainly attended by caucasians so it was rare for a person of color to attend MHS, so rare that the only African American kids that attended MHS were known by everyone because there were so few African American students. 

How did your childhood impact you?

Espitia’s childhood made him more resilient and gave him more emotional fortitude compared to other people. He said he doesn’t take things personally, and that it takes a lot to affect him emotionally. He’s a really patient person; having both of his parents involved in his life caused that. He says, “I’m a little bit more, I wouldn’t say lenient, but a little bit more understanding as to like when students don’t necessarily behave the way they’re expected to.”

Have you always wanted to be a teacher?

Espitia’s journey to teaching 10th chemistry was not straight-forward. Espitia wanted to be a doctor. He went to medical school. However, he felt like he wasn’t fulfilling anything. He had always wanted to help people but he was getting very depressed because being a doctor isn’t personal enough. Espitia states “It’s very just like ‘Hey how are you? Let me give you this medicine’ and that’s it. It felt a little bit impersonal.” He felt like he didn’t get to know much about his patients. He decided to try teaching, but his plan was to only do it for a little bit. However, students showed him how fulfilling being a teacher can be and he chose to stick with it.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Espita’s greatest accomplishment is that he has been nominated for this award called “Vesper.” What the award goes for is how you have changed a student generally not just in school but also how you have impacted them as a person. In fact he had so many people nominate him for the award that they had to choose someone else, which shows not only is he an amazing teacher but also just overall an amazing person.

How do you treat students differently from other teachers? 

Espitia’s way of looking at students is to actually look at them as a person and not just students who go to school. He gives them reasonable deadlines and is understanding if you do not meet those deadlines. He also understands that some people have extracurricular activities, and may have struggles at home.