Carmen Stokes has taught Expository Reading and Writing English twelve at Bonita Vista High (BVH) for over fifteen years, but started her teaching in Florida beforing moving to California. Stokes’ husband is in the military and was relocated to San Diego where she was able to get her California teaching credentials. Before Stokes taught at BVH, she taught at Castle Park Middle (CPM) for one year before advancing on to high school.
“I like how we have students of all ethnicities and races and religions that I have not seen in other schools. When I taught at CPM it was mainly of Mexican ethnicities, so it is nice to come to a campus where there is a wide variety of students and teachers. It makes it feel more comfortable and it is important to have diversity,” Stokes said.
The diversity of students at BVH not only gives her a reason to continue to work at BVH, but gives her the opportunity to enjoy her workplace. BVH has a safe environment where Stokes has the ability to freely express herself when she teaches. Health Teacher Shannon Bruce has been friends with Stokes since 2006. Over the years, Bruce was able to learn more about Stokes’ passion for expository writing.
“A professor had believed in her [who was] an English professor and I remember Stokes saying that she was her favorite professor. The professor helped her because she had believed in her and stirred up passion for the subject,” Bruce said.
Stokes working at BVH has given her opportunities to spend more time with her family. With her long teaching years at BVH, she had the opportunity to work with her students going to school at BVH as well. Her three sons have all gone to BVH with a remaining son at BVH who is a freshman. Stokes gets to see her family more and interact with them while being able to teach at the same time.
“I get to interact with them and get to know his teachers because they are my staff members. I know their personalities and who my son matches with because that can get difficult. [A difficulty] is the sports because I live further away from the school, so I have to stay long hours for him to get to his practices and games,” Stokes said.
A difficulty that Stokes faces when it comes to teaching at BVH where her sons go to and former children is the extracurricular activities. All three of her sons have participated in boys basketball here at BVH and with this it is difficult for her to drive back and forth, making her stay at school for extended hours of time. However, Stokes is loyal with giving her son a good successful education and a loyal person overall.
“She is a very loyal and loving friend. If I were to ever get sick I know that she would be there to help me. She is there not just for me, but for all of her friends at all times. Her door is always open and home to get help and to eat. She is always feeding everybody and making sure that you are okay. She is just a really good person overall,” Bruce said.
What makes Stokes a good person and friend is her loyalty. Stokes keeps her home open to all, especially Bruce where they spend lots of time accompanying each other. Bruce enjoys spending time with Stokes because of her easy going personality and their similar love for traditions. Because of Stokes being a loyal friend, it allows Bruce to continue their friendship and bond more.
“We are both people who like traditions, so every year we do a camping trip in July before going back to school. We were on a bowling team together which bonded our friendship and made it more exciting and we love to travel and spend time together. I love her food, she is the best cook that I know,” Bruce said.
United States History, Advanced Placement African American studies teacher Don Dumas also shares similar sentiments with Bruce, expressing that Stokes is an exceptional teacher and a supportive parent.
“I would say that Stokes is one of those educators who believes in her students and what they’re capable of, far beyond what the students believe about their own selves,” Dumas said. “She’s going to constantly try to get the absolute best out of her students and she feels the same way about the basketball players.”
Basketball is the sport that Stokes enjoys and bases her daily life on. Stokes grew up in a family where sports were uncommon to watch and play. However, when she met her husband she was introduced to basketball and from there on basketball has become a huge part of her family’s lifestyle and hugely surrounded by the game.
“I love basketball because it was introduced to me by my husband, so from there on it was just everything was basketball related. All of my sons have played travel basketball since they were four years old. We live in a huge community with basketball and our family is hugely surrounded by basketball,” Stokes said.
Because basketball is so integral to Stokes family, she spends a lot of her time trying to support her son’s team and passion. Dumas notes how often Stokes takes the time to help the BVH basketball program.
“She donates money and time to the program by volunteering for snack bar duty, ticket gate duty or supervising the crowd for home games, and she’s one our most vocal supporters at away games as well,” Dumas said.
Her drive and passion for basketball goes back to her sons because they have the opportunities to go to college for the game. The importance of basketball in the Stokes family gives her son an opportunity to do what he loves because of their passion and drive for the game. Her love for the game accumulated more because of her son and being able to watch him in college.
“The love for the game is making my middle son go to college. It is a really big deal because if it was not for our family being so into basketball he wouldn’t have the opportunities. He would not be going to school if it was not for basketball. Him wanting to play the game and at a high level is a big inspiration that I love. I am proud of him and want to see him succeed and watch him play the game that he loves. It might even happen to my youngest son as well in the future,” Stokes said.
