Q + A: IB Coordinator Terri Sorgent
IB Coordinator Terri Sorgent looks over papers at her desk.
May 6, 2014
Terri Sorgent has been a teacher for 28 years, but now acts as International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator for Tracy High and as the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Director for Tracy Unified School District. She enjoys Tracy High because of its comfortable feel and its friendly students and staff.
What college did you attend? “Well, I went to four different colleges in four years (laughing). I started at San Joaquin Delta College my first year and went on to San Diego State University (SDSU) as a sophomore. I was accepted to SDSU right out of high school, but as a stupid teenage girl I followed my best friend who decided not to go to San Diego because she fell in love. I then transferred to University of the Pacific when I got a job close to home as a junior, and then spent my fourth year of college at Sacramento State where I got my bachelor’s degree in English. I got my teaching credential and master’s degree in education through Chapman University.”
How many years were you involved in Academic Decathlon (AcaDec)? “I have been involved in AcaDec at two different schools. I was involved at Edison High School for five years and I coached on and off for 15 years at Tracy.” (Sorgent’s husband Dave is also an award-winning AcaDec coach at various schools in the area. The winner of the San Joaquin County AcaDec Competition receives the Dave Sorgent Winner’s Cup.)
What are your hobbies? “I really like to read, watch good movies, spend time with my husband and my dogs, and exercise. That kind of stuff.”
Do you have any guilty pleasures? “Ha, chocolate. Any kind of chocolate works for me.”
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? “Staying in education for almost 30 years is probably the most significant thing I can think of.”
Something you consider unique about yourself? “I think I am a really good listener. I am very sensitive to students when they are having problems. I like hearing what they have to say. I consider myself understanding in that way.”
What is the best advice you have ever received? “I do not remember specifically who said this to me, but very early in my teaching career someone at a workshop told me to make sure I talk to each and every one of my students each day because that may be the only positive interaction the student has that day. I think that has served me well.”
What is the best trip you have ever taken? “I actually just got back from a great trip over spring break. My husband and I went to Puerto Vallarta for the week, and we had just a fabulous time. We stayed at a villa right on the beach, so there were only a few other couples staying at the villa. It was super. Besides that, I have taken two trips with students to Europe which were both very fun experiences. Anything by the beach makes me really happy, too.
When you were a child what did you want to grow up to be? “I think the first thing I wanted to be was a veterinarian. I didn’t want to teach at all. I actually worked as a loan underwriter for American Savings, and we were supposed to be laid off. I never was, but I figured I needed to find something else to do, and my husband was a teacher, so I decided to teach and it was the best thing I ever did.”
What impact do you hope to leave on students that you work with? “That’s actually an interesting question. When I worked with English students I wanted them to have a love of literature. Now, since I am not teaching English anymore, I just want students to have a positive experience in high school, and I want to help them achieve that in every way possible.
