Mathematics Science, and Technology Magnet Academy
Roosevelt High School
On behalf of Great Minds in Stem, we would like to congratulate Mr. Jason V. Yan on his selection as our Educator of the Month. On top of his outstanding participation at the Great Mind in STEM Conference K-12 Institute, Mr. Yan is currently an educator at the Mathematics Science, and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School. Located in the heart of Boyle Heights, in Los Angeles, CA. He has been an educator over seventeen years.
Mr. Yan was born in the Los Angeles area and attended elementary and middle school in Chinatown and Sherman Oaks before graduating from Roosevelt High School, the school he now teaches at. He believes that his exposure to different cultures, belief systems, and great people helped him appreciate diversity; additionally, this exposure, helped him develop a strong mind set and gain the confidence to attend UCLA. Despite failing many classes at UCLA and losing confidence in his ability to pursue a STEM major, Mr. Yan never gave up on his career. He powered through sleepless nights of studying and standing for long periods of time on the bus to and from UCLA (including missing his bus stop a few times). Everything is possible once you set your mind to it, just like Mr. Yan, who set himself the goal of completing his education regardless of the tough circumstances.
We are all aware that to become successful, having someone to look up to and learn from is a great help. Jason had two great teachers who inspired him to become a very successful educator. Mr. Negrete (math) and Mr. Saucedo (science) were both STEM educators who helped Mr. Yan understand the true meaning of teaching through their lessons. According to Mr. Yan, his science teacher Mr. Saucedo taught him that “science people are not robots and emotionless, but rather have great stories they could tell and teach.” Now, Mr. Yan, a professional teacher, educator, and STEM leader, is committed to assisting students who are stuck while pursuing their STEM careers. Great Minds in STEM, salutes our educator of the month and we consider ourselves fortunate to work with such wonderful STEM champions as Mr. Yan, who works extremely hard and has a deep respect and appreciation for the future STEM student leaders of this country. Thank you, Mr. Yan!