Luis Quintanilla
Luis Quintanilla was born and raised in California, residing in Orange County for his entire life. He is a proud graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a dual Bachelor of Arts in History/ American Studies While pursuing his higher education, he is currently a member of the National Historical Honor Society Phi Alpha Theta, Theta-Pi chapter within CSU Fullerton where he has received recognition for his dedication and leadership within The Welebaethan, CSU Fullerton’s department of history nationally recognized student run journal. Additionally, he graduated with a Master of Arts in American Studies at CSU Fullerton in 2022 and obtained his social science teaching credential from Azusa Pacific University in 2024.
While pursuing his Master’s and credential, Luis put himself in the classroom in various roles–teaching assistant, AVID tutor, substitute teacher, student teacher, and coach–to work on his skills within education. His experience within these roles deepened his passion for education as he pursued a career in secondary education. His experience and skills led to opportunities to represent his respective universities in educational summits. During his time at Azusa Pacific University, Luis was chosen to represent the APU at the Fall 2023 BranchED Cohort Convening in Atlanta, GA for Branch Alliance for Educational Diversity. He collaborated with various faculty and upcoming teachers across 10 states to create transformational tools for teaching candidates to take into their respective classrooms.
Currently, he is an Ethnic Studies and World History teacher at Inglewood High School, bringing in different pedagogies and approaches that highlight student cultures, diversity, and representation. As a first-generation college graduate, he is motivated to pursue and advance in education.