My name is Alexander Garcia and I am proud to be the music teacher for these young Polar Bears. This is my 21st year as an educator and my 11th at Herrera Elementary. My previous experiences include 7 years at Serna Middle School with the Socorro ISD where I taught mathematics and 3 years at Rusk Elementary as a fifth grade teacher to start my career. I feel lucky to say that all three places have been a wonderful experience.
I have been a student or teacher for the El Paso ISD for twenty seven years now. I attended Vilas elementary, Wiggs middle and El Paso high schools. In high school I participated in band, football and a brief stint in track and field. My senior year I was selected to lead the band as a drum major. My experience leading the band is a memorable one for me considering that I was a proud "band geek". After high school I went on to enroll at both, EPCC and UTEP with aspirations of becoming a band director. After a couple of years in college and some interesting courses my interest for being in the general classroom grew and so I entered myself in the educator program with a concentration in Social Studies. I can't say enough about my experience at EPCC and UTEP. Both campuses had a positive impact in molding me into the educator that I am now and the instructors there also provided me with the foundation and the vision that I base my teachings on.
My parents represent your typical El Paso working class that strive for the family’s best interest. My mother was a custodian at St. Clemens and at one point was the head of a local union that represented injured workers. My father, a proud Vietnam Veteran of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One), was a backhoe operator for the Ft. Bliss cemetery. He currently serves as a Tai Chi instructor for TIEN SHAN TZI. Together they instilled in me and my sister that dedication, confidence, flexibility and faith would guide us to a good life. These people are my heroes and I am forever grateful for their sacrifices.
My family consists of my wife, Josie, and my two children, Alexander Cole and AnnDee Marie. My wife is currently an employee of AT&T and a graduate of UTEP with a Masters degree. She also practices life coaching on her spare time. Our two children are now students at Brown Middle and Coronado High. This supporting cast keeps my motor running every day and provides me with the motivation to succeed on a daily basis.
My musical background dates back to my elementary years when I would stand in front of an audience and not move my lips. Ms. McManus was a wonderful music teacher at Vilas elementary, but I still could not get myself to sing in front of others. I started my trumpeter career in 6th grade with Mr. Valles, a trumpeter himself, as my director. Sadly, Mr. Valles passed during the pandemic due to covid, but his influence and his spirit carries through people like myself. Following Mr. Valles was Mr. Lohman at Wiggs middle and Ms. Wood at El Paso high school. After high school I joined the UTEP band and mariachi. The UTEP band was a great experience, but surprisingly it turned out that mariachi would have a greater influence in my life. The mariachi experience I gained as a musician, entertainer, manager, director and public relations coordinator has added some thread of what makes me who I am now. Mariachi took me to places like Alaska and St. Louis, I experienced a first place finish in a competition featuring a rock song, I met many people at various celebrations, I played with many wonderful musicians, it made me a better musician, but most importantly I met my wife through mariachi and we started a family as a result of our encounter.
In all, I am grateful to everyone and everything that played a role in my development as a human being. Every day I look forward to making a difference in the classroom and give our young Polar Bears an experience that they can hold on to for the rest of their lives and hopefully influence their lives like it did mine.
I have been a student or teacher for the El Paso ISD for twenty seven years now. I attended Vilas elementary, Wiggs middle and El Paso high schools. In high school I participated in band, football and a brief stint in track and field. My senior year I was selected to lead the band as a drum major. My experience leading the band is a memorable one for me considering that I was a proud "band geek". After high school I went on to enroll at both, EPCC and UTEP with aspirations of becoming a band director. After a couple of years in college and some interesting courses my interest for being in the general classroom grew and so I entered myself in the educator program with a concentration in Social Studies. I can't say enough about my experience at EPCC and UTEP. Both campuses had a positive impact in molding me into the educator that I am now and the instructors there also provided me with the foundation and the vision that I base my teachings on.
My parents represent your typical El Paso working class that strive for the family’s best interest. My mother was a custodian at St. Clemens and at one point was the head of a local union that represented injured workers. My father, a proud Vietnam Veteran of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One), was a backhoe operator for the Ft. Bliss cemetery. He currently serves as a Tai Chi instructor for TIEN SHAN TZI. Together they instilled in me and my sister that dedication, confidence, flexibility and faith would guide us to a good life. These people are my heroes and I am forever grateful for their sacrifices.
My family consists of my wife, Josie, and my two children, Alexander Cole and AnnDee Marie. My wife is currently an employee of AT&T and a graduate of UTEP with a Masters degree. She also practices life coaching on her spare time. Our two children are now students at Brown Middle and Coronado High. This supporting cast keeps my motor running every day and provides me with the motivation to succeed on a daily basis.
My musical background dates back to my elementary years when I would stand in front of an audience and not move my lips. Ms. McManus was a wonderful music teacher at Vilas elementary, but I still could not get myself to sing in front of others. I started my trumpeter career in 6th grade with Mr. Valles, a trumpeter himself, as my director. Sadly, Mr. Valles passed during the pandemic due to covid, but his influence and his spirit carries through people like myself. Following Mr. Valles was Mr. Lohman at Wiggs middle and Ms. Wood at El Paso high school. After high school I joined the UTEP band and mariachi. The UTEP band was a great experience, but surprisingly it turned out that mariachi would have a greater influence in my life. The mariachi experience I gained as a musician, entertainer, manager, director and public relations coordinator has added some thread of what makes me who I am now. Mariachi took me to places like Alaska and St. Louis, I experienced a first place finish in a competition featuring a rock song, I met many people at various celebrations, I played with many wonderful musicians, it made me a better musician, but most importantly I met my wife through mariachi and we started a family as a result of our encounter.
In all, I am grateful to everyone and everything that played a role in my development as a human being. Every day I look forward to making a difference in the classroom and give our young Polar Bears an experience that they can hold on to for the rest of their lives and hopefully influence their lives like it did mine.