Being a new teacher comes with many ups and downs. Amanda Cardenas arrived at Antioch Community High School in 2018 with 12 years of teaching under her belt.

Halfway through her first year at ACHS, Cardenas went on leave due to her pregnancy. 

“I was so excited to have a baby,” said Cardenas. “But it was also nerve wracking to leave these babies (her students) with somebody else.” 

Cardenas pushes her students to do their best, but also wants her classroom to be an enjoyable environment.

“I hope that my classroom is open and comfortable,” said Cardenas. “Down the road I hope that the class is also hard. I try to strike the balance of how hard you are working with how comfortable you are.”

Cardenas’ first year working at ACHS was successful even though she was on maternity leave. Cardenas wishes for many more great years, hopefully uninterrupted.