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I feel strongly that the Master’s in Early Childhood Education at Pacific Oaks is very much aligned with the things I LOVE about this field—promoting creative thinkers, challenging the status quo, and embracing diversity in the classroom and curriculum. My goal is to work with children again, directly and indirectly. That is why I have chosen the concentration: Organizational Leadership and Change. I want to be able to help schools focus on the proper bottom line—the student. I want to create a nurturing environment for growth. I want my students to feel loved and to believe in themselves because the educators in their life are relentlessly rooting for them. I want my students to have fun learning through various mediums, from play to cultural experiences. I want to create a progressive school that sets a foundation for respectful, responsible, and creative future leaders. I believe Pacific Oaks will provide the tools I need to achieve these things.

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I originally thought I would go into Social Work, but actually ended up in Education. I started off as a Teacher’s Assistant for Lennox Middle School. I really didn’t think I would enjoy working with kids, but I needed a job and they paid pretty well. I grew to love this field because of that job. I worked alongside incredibly inspiring Educators. We served primarily a low income, first generation population- many of which were learning English as second language. Those kids touched my heart in a way that I’ll never forget. I saw how much they needed positive role models who looked like them and that’s what I set out to do.

Over the years, I continued to work in Education.  My experience ranged from Pre School to Higher Education. I have had great experiences filled with triumphs, but also many less-than-favorable moments as well. There have been days where I wanted to give up completely on Education. This was a huge reason I hadn’t done much to further my education over the past ten years; I just didn’t see a future in it. I’ve worked in so many schools that were severely poorly run, with administrations that care more about profit than the student, and unjustifiable budget cuts to programs that could truly enrich the student experience. In 2016, I was at my wits end, but decided to revisit a dream I had since graduating High School—to live and work abroad. I decided teaching abroad would the perfect opportunity to see where my heart was in regards to being an Educator. I was blessed to land what ended up being my dream job—in Seoul, South Korea. I worked at a full immersion private Kindergarten, where the curriculum revolved around STEAM. My first day at the school consisted of no training, orientation, or any background on my students. Some would say, “I was thrown to the wolves,” but I was up for the challenge. I was the only foreign teacher in that school without credentials, so I was determined to demonstrate my capabilities, despite not having the formal training. This role helped me grow in so many ways. My students were incredibly smart and loving. We had so much fun together and seeing how much they improved in deferent subject areas was just the “icing on the cake.”

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My name is Alma Meza Greene. I am 33 years old and just got married about 10 months ago! Life is amazing and I am blessed to be able to have an opportunity to advance in my personal development. I have had quite a journey in both my professional and educational career that ultimately led up to my decision to pursue Graduate School. In 2008, I received my Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Fullerton. At that point, I had no intention of furthering my education beyond my Bachelor’s, but I see the value now more than ever. Big dreams won’t happen without putting in the work.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to help people. I started off as a Nursing major, but quickly realized I have zero tolerance for handling bodily fluids. I continued to explore my interests and enrolled in some Fashion and Architecture courses, too. I took a Sociology course to fulfill one of my Gen Ed requirements and that’s when I was hooked. In my college years, I had really started to purposely surround myself with likeminded friends and those whom I could learn from. I am a firm believer that “iron sharpens iron”. We would hang out at Poetry night, go to Indie movie theaters to catch documentaries, attend rallies for activism, and volunteer when we could. I knew I wanted to be a change agent. After all, one of my biggest role models in life is my late, Great Aunt who was an immigrant, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. A lot of the topics discussed in that class were so fascinating to me and that’s when I decided Sociology would be my major.