Bio:
I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles on East 25th Street where my childhood curiosity stemmed from the havoc in the streets where I slept with the sounds of ambulance sirens and helicopter blades above my roof. I always enjoyed being in school and wanting to know more about the subjects being taught. I would love to get my work done and was considered a bright kid, but my talkative persona and travesuras (foolishness) would prevent me from focusing on my work. It was like this in Middle School and a bit in High School. After high school, I started community college at Mount San Antonio College where I was undeclared for two years. I decided to major in English after realizing that I enjoyed reading and writing. Eventually, I settled on majoring in English and was pursuing either a writing or professor career. I transferred to Cal State LA, finished my BA in 2018, then applied to grad school in the same campus and got in. I started teaching College Writing in 2019 as a graduate student, then graduated with my MA in 2021. I taught at Cal State LA for three years, then I transitioned to Mt. San Jacinto College to teach College Writing and Latin/x Literature. I am lucky to be in this position as a Chicano professor teaching at MSJC.
My Professional Experience:
As a graduate student, my thesis focused on how sustaining the American Dream narrative
helps maintain capitalism's spirit and the virtually unregulated control of those
in power. I used Frank L. Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and MGM's The Wizard of
Oz to interrogate the perpetual nature of the American Dream. If you are interested
in reading my article here is the citation information:
Alonso, Luis Bernardo. An American Dream That Never Came True: Cruel Optimism in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2021.
I have taught English 1005A & B at Cal State LA. English 1005A & B is a stretch composition course. During my full-time teaching career, I started teaching English 1010, English 1050, and English 2030. My teaching practices include equity practices and student-oriented assignments to meet your learning needs. I have also worked at EOP Summer Bridge as part of the assessment team which includes gathering data, observing classrooms, and interacting with student cohorts. During the 2023 and 2024 Summers, I worked as a Early Start Coordinator by designing the course for Early Start Composition and being the conduit between First Year Connections and the English Department at Cal State LA. Now, I am starting my teaching journey at Mt. San Jacinto and I look forward to being a new member of such a strong community :)