About Mx. Hollis
Who Am I?
My name is Vanya Hollis and I am the Teacher Librarian at Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School. My pronouns are they/them.
My name is Vanya Hollis and I am the Teacher Librarian at Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School. My pronouns are they/them.
College Life and Afterwards!
In college, I majored in Biology and minored in Environmental Studies. But I realized that I love science way back in middle school! I am a naturally curious person. I have always looked at the world and wondered how it works and why, especially the living world- the human body, plants, animals, cells, genetics, diseases. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian and when I was a teenager, I wanted to be a marine biologist, but I realized I liked working with young people in college. One summer, I worked for the Forest Service and I took middle school students outdoors to learn about nature. It was so fun! After college, I worked in Environmental Education for a year in Ohio at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center and then moved to San Francisco where I started the process of becoming a teacher. I taught there for 3 years and then moved to L.A. in 2006. I taught Biology and Health at Manual Arts from 2006-2012, and Biology, Health and Physiology at Augustus Hawkins from 2012-2019. I really loved being a Science and Health teacher!
My thoughts on school!
I love teaching and I love learning. Those two go together for me. Learning has done so much for me in improving my life and allowing me to think about things in new ways. Most of my family is low-income and do not have jobs that they like. When I was in high school, I decided that going to college was the only way for me to do something different. So I studied hard (I had 2-3 hours of homework every night!), did a lot of extra-curricular activities, played sports and eventually, I got into a good college and because of my good grades, I got a lot of scholarships. But I also recognize that I come from privilege: having a father who came from a middle-class background, being white and going to a private high school gave me certain privileges. The American Dream is a myth.
I love teaching and I love learning. Those two go together for me. Learning has done so much for me in improving my life and allowing me to think about things in new ways. Most of my family is low-income and do not have jobs that they like. When I was in high school, I decided that going to college was the only way for me to do something different. So I studied hard (I had 2-3 hours of homework every night!), did a lot of extra-curricular activities, played sports and eventually, I got into a good college and because of my good grades, I got a lot of scholarships. But I also recognize that I come from privilege: having a father who came from a middle-class background, being white and going to a private high school gave me certain privileges. The American Dream is a myth.
College was where I learned a lot about myself and what I like; it also enabled me to get a job that I love- teaching science and now, being a Teacher Librarian!!!
Why did I become a Teacher Librarian?
I love reading and I want students to love it too. As a young person, I was able to envision my future possibilities in life through reading books. I want to find ways to encourage our youth to expand their visions of what is possible and open their horizons through the power of reading. I am also passionate about research and helping people find the information they want! If you want to know what a Teacher Librarian does, feel free to read about it here.
I believe free access to information and libraries are central to our democracy and our intellectual freedom. We should all have the right to read what we want. I also believe that school libraries, especially high school libraries, should be run by the students as much as possible, which means that students help to decorate, choose new furniture, choose books, help shelve and check out books, help create book displays and get their peers reading. That's what the Library Club is all about!
If you ever want to talk about anything- best books to read or just life issues, you can come talk to me at lunch, before school, or after school. I’m excited to get to know you, to learn and to grow with you this school year. I hope you feel excited too!
Sincerely,
Vanya Hollis (they/them)
P.S. My favorite color is green and I love chocolate chip cookies!
P.P.S. You can pronounce Mx. Hollis like this: "Mix Hollis!"
