“Not many jobs allow a person to help others like teaching does.” says Mrs. Paris, a Math I and a Math I Honors teacher here at Ripon High. “It’s not just a paycheck. It’s like you could actually make or break a person’s mindset about themselves, and hopefully you’re not breaking it, you’re making it instead.” 

Paris has been teaching for 17 years, but she did not originally want to be a teacher. “I first went to school to become a nurse,” Paris explains, “but then I quickly realized I could not handle vomit, so I changed my major probably my second year of college. I knew that it was either teaching or nursing.” 

Paris graduated from Johansen High School in Modesto, a school she later worked at for 13 years, and went to college at Long Beach State. She is happily married with two children. “I love to go watch my kids play sports,”Paris says, “and it’s a good thing I love it. You want to know why? Because they do it all weekend.”  Outside of school, Paris likes to play board games at home, garden, and play pickleball with her husband. 

When asked her favorite part about teaching at Ripon High, Paris responds, “The community.” She later adds, “But, the students are awesome. I love the students. There isn’t a single class or student that I’m like, ‘Oh god’.” 

To conclude, Paris is a wonderful teacher who welcomes all students to her classroom. Whether you need a shoulder to lean on or a teacher to learn from, Paris’s classroom door is always open, even at lunch! As Paris says, “Everyone is very unique, and I feel like everyone is accepting of the different types of personalities.”  The Ripon High School community continues to show their welcoming attitude to all students and staff throughout the 2024 year.